golf

52 Ways To Stop Your Slice

2009-02-05T06:50:00.001-08:00

If there's one thing that haunts most golfers more than missing a 3-foot putt, it has to be slicing the ball off the tee. So this week I have written 2-different articles - the first being 52 Ways to Stop Your Slice and the second being If You Understand What Causes A Slice You Wouldn't Need 52 Ways To Stop A Slice! So consider this a bonus section to Golf Improvement Weekly.

Part 1 - Fixing your slice can be a complicated task or it can be a Simple solution - the choice is up to you. Now the average person reading this will say - "Well Marc, I want the Simple Solution." Yet, when we go to work on getting rid of your slice using these Simple Solutions, the average Golfer says - "Yeah but, what about working on an inside to out swing path, what about turning my wrist over at impact, isn't my swing too flat, shouldn't I work on getting my elbow down to my side to get the club in the correct position on the downswing?" Because of the Golf Instruction Experts or Guru's that we hear from each week on Television or Magazines or Internet Chat Rooms - we assume that the solutions to simple things such as Slicing the Ball Off The Tee have to have complicated corrections and that there always has to be swing changes made to your swings.

And I actually enjoy hearing how complicated you think it is to fix your golf swing because to see your faces when you're able to Stop Slicing the Ball by just using some of our drills is fascinating.

Fascinating? Why Fascintating?

Because for most Golfers we see, there is so much going on in your heads during each swing you make - I'm surprised your still playing golf. Too many Golfers make this game hard work. It's like the Monkey said - "A bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at work!" I'll believe that one when I see it. I guess I haven't worked in an office enviroment enough, but I can't imagine people banging their mouse's on the ground and yelling the expletives they do on the golf course in the middle of the office. Or telling everybody in earshot how bad they messed up on getting an important assignment done - you'd get fired right on the spot if you acted that way in the office.

Yet on the golf course we see clubs banged against the ground - I learn more "salty" language than I did during High School - and I constantly hear how badly everyone's playing, even after they've just played 2-holes. "Oh man, this is the worst golf I've ever played!" Hey don't get down on yourself, you've only played 2-holes. "Yeah but I've never played this bad in my entire life." I don't understand, you've never double bogied 2-holes in a row in all the years you've played golf? "Well yes, I have. But, I just don't feel comfortable right now with my swing. I just feel off and I'm not having fun!" Didn't you just tell me that A bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at work?

If that's the case, your job must really stink!

So the first way to Stop a Slice is to not get so upset at yourself that you start to hold the club as if it were a $1,000,000 bill. You must realize that when you hold the club so tightly the tightness doesn't stop at your hands - it works its way up your arms through your shoulders, right up your neck and into your brain. And when all this tension is pulsating through your body - your swing gets "Stuck" and when you're "Stuck", you need to find a way to become "Unstuck" and that usually means you're going to have to Compensate some where in your swing to make up for being "Stuck" and that Compensation will lead to some act of Inconsistency which includes Slicing the Ball off the Tee. (How's that for a run-on sentence Robert Z?)

The Monkey says "I read that if I Slice Off The Tee that I should tee my ball up on the right-side of the tee box (for a righty Golfer - left side for a lefty Golfer) and aim to the left to allow my ball to have more room to Slice." I don't know about that one - Why is that going to help you to not Slice Off The Tee? "Well, it won't stop me from Slicing Off The Tee, but it'll allow me more room to allow the ball to Slice." I guess you're correct, it would give you more room to play the Slice Off The Tee and if you know you're going to Slice - that would be a good PLAN to have. Yet I believe that the reason that most Golfers Slice Off The Tee is caused by bad Aim and having your Aim so far to the left, can't be helping.

If your Aim is off, you'll have to Compensate somewhere in your swing to make up for that fact.

The reason that you'll need to Compensate is that if your Aim is bad and you do make a good swing, the ball won't go where you think it should be go. Yet the majority of Monkeys will start trying to figure out what went wrong with their golf swing as opposed to fixing their Aim. So then on your next swing, instead of fixing the Aim, you feel as though you need to fix your swing instead - so in the middle of your swing you Compensate for the bad Aim and that Compensation will lead to some act of Inconsistency which includes Slicing the Ball off the Tee.

Oh my goodness, I have 50-more Ways To Stop Your Slice to go.

Ok, the next 50 Ways To Stop Your Slice - if you're looking for Golf Tips that you think will improve your Score, this isn't the place to be looking for them. We don't work with Golf Tips, Golf Made Simple works with Reality! Please don't think of us like you think of other Golf Instructors you've worked with or heard talking or read about. Our approach is totally different than what is already out there. Yes, we help you to hit the golf ball better and to eliminate your Slice Off The Tee (we have 100's of Testimonials, Returning Golfers and Referrals to prove it) - but we don't use the ineffective approach that is employed by 9.9 out of 10 Instructors out there. While they're teaching you what Positions you need to be in along with overwhelming you with their "Theories and Assumptions" about swing path, swing plane, grip, etc, etc, etc -

We're allowing you to Feel the motion of your golf swing in a way you've never felt it before.

As Graham Nicholson recently said at one of our classes - "Usually when you go to a Golf School you're worried about pounding 1000's of golf balls and tearing up your hands. On our 2nd day at Golf Made Simple we hit maybe 80 to 90 golf balls and I got more out of that session than I could've dreamed of. And that translated into hitting the golf ball better than I ever have before. It was truly more about quality than quantity!"

To Stop A Slice Off The Tee - everything in your swing has to be moving together to produce a straight club face at impact. That's it! That's the answer! Yet, to get your body to do that, you need to learn to get everything moving together using drills like - The Symetrical Drill, Parallel Hands, Riding Hands, The Stepping Drill, The Swoosh Drill, The Belly Swing, The Modified Belly Swing (MBS), The Toliet Paper Drill, Eyes Closed, The Grass Cutter and Tire Drill, The Ace Bandage Drill, The Baseball Drill, etc, etc, etc.

Which Drill is best for you?

We won't know till we work with you to see which fits your Golf Swing. But you can be assured that these Drills will give you a feel for your Golf Swing - and that is critical because 7 out of 10 Golfers can't feel their golf swing and 9 out of 10 Golfers don't know what they should be feeling. Yet, although most Golfers are having trouble feeling their swing, all the Golf Instruction you hear about is trying to get the club in this Position or that Position. Getting the club in certain Positions is not about Feel - it's more about giving you more to think about on every golf swing and turning you into a Robot over the golf ball. Who wants more to think about when you're hitting off the 1st Tee with 16-other Golfers watching you?

The Golf Tips that you're hearing from the Monkeys (other Golfers and Golf Professionals) are all Compensations to try to fix other Compensations you've developed because you were told to use those Compensations to fix other Compensations. So pretty soon there is no way you can have Confidence in your Golf Swing when you have 52-Compensations To Stop Your Slice on your mind everytime you walk-up to the Tee to hit your Driver. Why is it that Kids have the smoothest, best looking swings in the world? What do you think they're thinking about on every golf swing? Probably - "I hope that Adult doesn't come over here and try to teach me what they're struggling to do!"

The Kids are Feeling their golf swings and are truly having Fun and hitting the ball more Consistent than you are because they're just swinging the club. The average Golfer isn't happy with their Golf swing and they get less happy everytime they go to the Driving Range to practice because they're practicing Positions as opposed to Feeling their swing!

I'd believe the Kid that says "A bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at School!"

9 out of 10 Golfers aren't happy with their Golf Game - yet you say "A bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at work!" Man, your job must really stink! Yet, those 9 out of 10 Golfers that aren't happy with their Golf Game continue to use Golf Tips (or I should say "Theories and Assumptions" that are really nothing more than Compensations) to improve your game. Please realize that all those Golf Tips that you've tried in the past and might try in the future aren't going to just suddenly leave your swing when you realize they didn't work. Like it or not, those Swing Tips are etched in your golf swing forever - even after you say you're not going to think about that Tip anymore - that swing thought will be there forever. Your swing is made up of everything you've thought of in the past - even the things you tried during just one practice session in the past.

So basically your swing is made up of one Compensating Manuever piled on top of another and another and another.

And the good news is that when all those Compensations work together - you hit a good golf shot. Yet, when they're not working - you hit Inconsistent shots. So my question to you is - "Are your Compensations usually working together to produce Consistent shots?

Part 2 - What causes a Slice? For a Righty - Side Spin to the right. For a Lefty - Side Spin to the left.

What causes a Golfer to say I need to read an article that's going to give me 52-Reasons How To Stop A Slice? Listening to the Monkeys and so called Guru's handing Tip after Tip after Tip to you. Or should I say Compensation after Compensation after Compensation to you. And you know what Compensation equates to? Inconsistency! If you built your home like you built your golf swing - The Big Bad Wolf would be able to "Huff and Puff and blow your house down!" Though if you start with a solid foundation and continue to use that foundation to build your golf swing based on Feeling your swing, you won't have to rely on Golf Tips or should I say Compensations to stop your Slice.

It's not too late to get away from a swing that is built on Compensations! What Do You Think?

Regards,

Marc - Your Instructor for Life

The nationally recognized PGA professional, Marc Solomon and his staff, lead four person classes for a customized experience. Students can take 3, 5 and 7-day classes in St. Augustine, FL, Amelia Island, FL and Santa Barbara, CA. Their Instructor For Life program guarantees that each student can always contact their instructor for free customized advice, tips, drills and exercises - for life. It's Golf Made Simple.

For more information, or to read Golf Improvement Weekly (the world's most read golf improvement newsletter), please visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.GolfMadeSimple.com">http://www.GolfMadeSimple.com</a>

Valuable Tips For Golf

2009-02-04T14:50:00.001-08:00

We learn a lot from just watching and observing the pros and by doing so it is easy to pick up valuable tips for golf that can help our own golf game.

And make no mistake about it, to pick the really valuable tips for golf from the professionals; you will need to be very observant and keen. Many times you will need to watch and listen keenly, if you are watching them on Television or arrive at the venue very early if you are watching the action live.

One of the things the pros never do is arrive late and find that their tee time has arrived and they hurriedly have to take their positions.

Such a situation means that the golfer starts the game with stiff muscles and also having not gotten a feel of the ball or the green before the start of the game.

Of all the tips for golf you will ever receive, this is the most critical because it helps you perform at your best. Your skills gained from hours of practice and all the other tips for golf in the world, will be of little use if you start a game without any sort of warm up.

Among the other important tips for golf you will get from professionals is that a warm up should involve first warming up your muscles and then stretching them, especially the golf-specific ones that you will strain during your golf swing.

Once the exercise part is done, you can then move on to the ball and hit 20 or 30 balls as you continue loosen up slowly. Start with a short iron and progress up the longer clubs. Try and see if you can get a feel for your swing.

Any amateur who tries out these tips for golf from the professionals will find that their game will improve dramatically and they will avoid sore muscles the next morning after a hard game the previous day.

About The Author:
Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Visit his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness ? golf training</a> site at Perform Better Golf.

Golf Swing Tips Will Not Work By Themselves

2009-02-04T09:01:00.001-08:00

Golf swing tips are rampant! Golfers can't get enough of them. But are they working?or are they adding to the confusion and frustration of your game? Many qualified instructors will tell you to stay away from all the golf swing tips in the golf magazines.

Why?

Because it causes "paralysis-by-analysis!"

What I mean is you get on the course and you are thinking too much about your golf swing mechanics and not enough about getting the ball in the fairway, onto the green, and in the hole!

We also call this the "62-point checklist" .

I'm here to tell you that golf swing tips by themselves will NEVER work! I know?this is a very strong statement, but I feel very strong about this.

How many times have you received a tip from a golf instructor, golfing buddy or out of a magazine?only to try it and play worse?

Come on?be honest!

I can tell you right now that it's your BODY that won't allow you to apply this golf swing tip. Your brain knows what to do?and wants to do it, but your body CAN'T perform it!

Your heard it right here! Your BODY can't do it! This is the missing link to your best golf ever!

Work on the machine (you) and the golf swing tips or mechanics you so yearn to do will magically happen. I've seen it hundreds of times with the golfers I've worked with.

I have literally taken someone off the practice tee, given them a stretch and they step right up and nail the ball long and right in the middle of the range. They become instant believers!

There is no magical golf swing tip that's going to change your game!

Golf swing mechanics are critical, and the "only" way to achieve them is to reduce your own personal physical limitations. This is not an overnight fix, but one that will last the rest of your golfing career.

Wouldn't it be nice to step up to the tee and know without a doubt you're going to be the longest (and straightest) hitter in your foursome? How about shooting the lowest score and taking all the money?

This is a reality if?you work on your machine (body), 'off the course' to play better on the course.

Then... and only then will all those golf swing tips work!

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds and manual at his <a target="_New" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf swing tips</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Gaining the Correct Golf Swing Plane

2009-02-02T11:50:00.001-08:00

The golf swing plane is the direction that your golf club travels during your swing. This is a very important key to playing golf correctly and well. Imagine a sheet of glass that extends from the ball to over your shoulders. A correct swing plane will run a path parallel to the glass. To see if you are swinging correctly, you need to establish if you have a correct swing plane. Here are some swing plane golf tips.

One of the easiest ways to analyze your swing plane is have someone film you. This will enable you to analyze your swing plane to make sure it is flattened. Place a pencil across the television screen when analyzing to make sure you are parallel with the imaginary piece of glass from the ball to over your shoulders.

A swing trainer can also help you with your swing plane. It is a circular pipe device that is adjustable and custom built for each golfer. It is easy to use and it will help you to correct your swing plane with each swing.

A more high tech way to assist you in correcting your swing plane is a laser light that fits onto the end of the club handle. This light shows where the butt of the club is pointing to help you analyze your swing plane.

Don't try to force the club into the correct swing plane. It will take time and practice to develop the correct swing plane on a consistent basis. Try one of theses tips to analyze your swing plane and practice to make it a sound and correct one!

Glenn Boulton is webmaster and publisher of <a target="_new" href="http://golf-swing.sportz-online.com">Golf-Swing.Sportz-Online.Com</a> He presents reviews, information, and tips for improving your game on his website.

Fitness For Golf Is The New Gold Standard

2009-02-02T08:40:00.001-08:00

Golf fitness has never been considered as important to one's enjoyment and success in the sport as it is today. The erroneous concepts and opinions of old (golf is not a physical game? golfers don't need to worry about fitness or nutrition?) are dying away in favor of the realization that fitness is paramount to performing well and golfers simply play better when they're in better shape.

Today's golf experts realize that it is much more than Twain's "good walk, spoiled" assessment of the sport. Nearly every pro playing golf today works with a personal golf fitness trainer. Many of them are stationed in areas of the country where they can have easy and quick access. Many trainers make themselves available on a more consistent basis by traveling the tour with their players.

Go to any well known golf school and you'll find a fitness component factored into the daily regime. Long gone are lavish meals, late night snacks and over indulgence at restaurants on tour. Today's players are making healthier choices in their meals ? especially prior to playing.

Fitness for Golf is the new golf standard for tour playing professionals. Be sure to fitness and a regular golf exercise program as one of the weapons in your arsenal of competitive play.

Susan Hill is a nationally recognized fitness trainer, CHEK golf biomechanic and sports nutrition specialist. For more information on golf specific nutrition, exercises or stretches, visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.fitnessforgolf.com">http://www.fitnessforgolf.com</a>

Golf Tips ? Finding that Winning Grip and the Cures for Grip Related Problems

2009-02-02T00:10:00.001-08:00

The correct grip is a key fundamental component of a golfer's game and is required to have a consistently good straight game, giving you the ability to shoot low scores with ease.

When the grip is faulty, poor shots often result along with an inconsistent and unreliable game. Therefore it is essential for your game that your grip is correct if you want to take your golf to the next level.

Firstly place the club in your left (opposite for lefthanders) hand, close your left hand around the grip as if you were shaking somebody's hand. Your thumb should be pointing down the grip, slightly to the right of centre.

Then bring in the right hand, firstly interlock the little finger of your right hand with the forefinger of your left hand. The underside of the grip should be placed on the joints of the second and third fingers of the right hand. Your right thumb should also be pointing down the grip, while your right palm should be facing towards the target with your left hand facing away from the target.

Two V's should be formed by the thumb and forefinger of each hand, these should both point somewhere between your right shoulder and eyes.

When holding the club, the club must be held firmly but with the minimum of effort. Having the correct grip allows your hands to work freely with the utmost control while a poor grip leads to a lack of club head control.

Key Points:

? Your arms and hands are relaxed.

? Your left forefinger is linked with the little finger of right hand, 2 or 3 knuckles should be visible.

? The V's created by the forefinger and thumb on each hand should point be to between your right shoulder and eyes. These V's should be pretty much parallel to each other.

? The grip should be comfortable yet held firmly with little effort, it is vital that the club head does not open or close on impact.

To test that you have a good grip, it should feel as though both your hands work together as if one. When you lift the club and move it, your hands should feel comfortable and secure.

Problems and cures for slightly faulty grips: You may find that you are slicing the ball; this could be due to a problem with your grip, (although it may be due to other reasons mentioned in my other article that aims to solve the slice) try rotating your grip slightly clockwise around the grip; also try holding the club more in the palm of your left hand.

If you have problems with hooking the ball, make a conscious effort to feel the ends of the fingers on your right hand pushing upwards through impact with the ball. This should help prevent you from closing the clubface on impact and so helps prevent you from hooking the ball.

Discover amazing free golf tips and secrets to help you take your game to the next level and shave a minimum of five shots off your best round. Visit: <a target="_new" href="http://golf-tipsandsecrets.blogspot.com">http://golf-tipsandsecrets.blogspot.com</a>

3 Ways To Maximize On The Effectiveness Of A Golf Instruction Video

2009-02-01T09:50:00.001-08:00

Golf instruction videos featuring techniques and tips from leading world class players are very common these days.

Still there are very few people who can claim to have had their games improved by a golf instruction video. So here are three tips to help you ensure that you reap maximum fruits from every golf instruction video that you ever get to watch.

1) Watch the golf instruction video several times

Some people watch golf instruction videos to try and get a single Magic formula that will revolutionize their game. They do not realize that the valuable nuggets in these videos are hidden in the many small things you need to do which add up to a great improvement in your game.

This is why it is very important to watch the video several times. At least twice.

2) Get webcam shots of yourself playing and compare your posture and positioning to what you see in the golf instruction video

It may not be very easy to tell what is wrong with your golf swing for example or how to correct it without taking a very close look at your game. The best way to do this is to get somebody else to take webcam shots of you on the course as you play. When you watch these alongside the golf instruction videos, it will be very easy for you to tell where your problem areas are and what you need to do to correct them.

3) Do golf-specific exercises to condition your body and muscles

Thirdly you will need your body and the relevant muscles to co-operate with our mind as you try to implement what you have seen on the golf instruction video.

One of the most effective ways of doing this is by getting involved in a golf-specific exercise program to tone and strengthen all the 'golf muscles' in your body. This way, they'll be nothing to stop you from reaping maximum benefits from every golf instruction video you watch.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Check out his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness ? golf training</a> site at Perform Better Golf.

What Hinders You From Hitting Long Drives Will Shock You

2009-02-01T06:10:00.001-08:00

Hitting long golf drives is the desire of every golfer when they are on the course.

Sadly many fail to achieve this objective most of the time and the best game in the world which you are supposed to enjoy enormously, instead ends up being a very frustrating experience.

Yet hitting long golf drives need not be so difficult to achieve. Actually the greatest hindrance to your hitting long golf drives is you.

You are the greatest hindrance to your hitting long golf drives, because if you are like most golfers, you are always trying to hit the ball as hard as you possibly can. In a pure physics situation this would be the correct approach except that in golf there are some variables that work together to dramatically change the situation.

To start with, every golf club is cleverly designed and crafted to hit the ball over a certain distance. So the best advice to start with is to trust the club you are using for hitting long golf drives to do its' job, because it is designed to do just that. All you have to do is make sure that the club connects the ball at the correct angle to achieve the distance you desire. That is the physics of a golfer. Of course this means that your golf swing technique has to be correct and effective.

The second variable that changes things is your body. If your muscles are not conditioned and prepared for hitting long golf drives then it is unlikely that you will get the results you want no matter how hard you try to hit the ball.

In a way it is similar to lifting weights. If you have not trained to lift a certain heavy weight, then no matter how hard you try, it is unlikely that you will be able to lift it. You will need to go back to the gym and exercise and prepare by gradually lifting heavier and heavier weights until you reach the particular weight that you desire to lift. It is exactly the same when it comes to hitting long golf drives.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Visit his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site at Perform Better Golf.

3 Simple Golf Tips To Quickly Improve Your Distance

2009-02-01T05:50:00.001-08:00

Every golfer wants to know the secret golf tip to improve their distance. The secret, is there is NO secret. It's common sense, and treating golf like a sport. The golf swing is not for the weak and feeble anymore.

Any golf tips you hear to improve distance should somehow be directly or indirectly related to the physical side of the golf swing. I mean?don't you think the swing puts a tremendous amount of pressure on your body, especially your lower back?

To alleviate this pain and quickly improve your distance takes strength and stretching, specific to your body and your golf swing.

So the quick fixes (band aides) you hear in all the magazines and on the golf channel are short-term fixes. You won't be able to consistently duplicate it until you improve your physical limitations.

So let's get to these simple, yet valuable tips.

Tip #1:

Perform a dynamic warm-up prior to the first tee. Don't ever skip it. It is more important than hitting balls before you play. How many times do you see a professional athlete go on the field and start playing? Never. That's my point.

A Simple Warm-Up could be some arm circles, toe touches, squats with your club, and standing twists holding the club out in front of you chest high.

That's it! Simple yet very effective to prepare your body for that LONG drive on the first tee.

Tip #2

Stretching on the course will keep your body nice and loose to make that FULL backswing, generating high clubhead speed and consistently LONG drives. There are just a few KEY stretches specific to your swing, that can keep your body relaxed for 18 holes.

One stretch I'll tell you is the backswing/shoulder stretch. It's a very simple stretch that will maintain a full and fluid backswing.

All you do is get in your golf posture, with your arms hanging naturally in front of you. For a right-handed golfer, you would take your right hand underneath your left, so the back of both hands are touching each other.

Now gently apply pressure from the back of your right hand against your left and pull your upper body all the way in your backswing and hold. Hold it for 15 seconds and repeat once more.

This stretch should be done on almost every hole to get the most out of it.

Tip #3

Improve your core strength and rotational speed. This one is done "off the course", and can even be done in your home with minimal equipment. Now this is just one tip (exercise) of many you can do to dramatically explode your drives "on the course".

Since the golf swing is a turn back and a turn through, it is rotational in nature. Then why wouldn't you do many exercises to improve your rotational strength and flexibility?

If you're serious about your game, you will now!

One simple golf exercise is the Seated Twist with a dumbbell. It's very easy and can be done with a 5 or 8 pound dumbbell.

While sitting on the ground, grab a single dumbbell with both hands and hold it out in front of you.

Now lean back putting tension on the abs. Your legs will be bent at a 90 degree angle in the knee, and together.

Start rotationg side to side, only with your upper body. Try keeping your lower body as stable as possible.

You will do 3 sets of 20 repetitions to get the full benefit of the exercise. Again, this is just ONE exercise of many that will strengthen your rotational muscles of your core.

I've just showed you 3 quick and easy golf tips to dramatically increase your distance. Now go out and make it happen!

Mike Pedersen is a respected golf fitness expert, and the author of the <a target="_new" href="http://www.ultimategolffitnessguide.com">Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide</a>, numerous golf fitness tips and founder of several online golf fitness sites. For more information on his new, cutting-edge golf fitness e-book, go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.ultimategolffitnessguide.com">http://www.ultimategolffitnessguide.com.</a>

Golf Humor Poetry:- Ode To The Fanatical Golfer. (Part Two)

2009-02-01T04:02:00.000-08:00

He's not eager to reveal his handicap; Around the truth he would often tap. They told him his game was taking a nap; That it never showed up; it needed a map!

Of his golf apparel he was Oh so proud! But people thought it was just too 'loud'. Often suggesting it needed a shroud; This caused a fight; a rolling dust cloud!

To his heart, golf was the key. It was on the green his soul felt free. He could hardly await the time for 'tee'; But club dues must be paid; this ride's got a fee.

Once in a blue moon he made a birdey; Though he knew much about golf (a little nerdy). About to tee off- his feet stood sturdy; But only took up a divot--brown and verde.

It didn't take long for his eyes to in-take; The path of the ball; the flight it must make. "Easy!", he thought. "This is gonna be cake!" But the fish all braced for it's entry into the lake.

In secret, the rules he would often bend; From his mind, a rationalization he would lend. To him, the means justified the end; Like the fiercest warrior, his handicap must he defend.

Into his 'golf life', sand traps would rain; Bogeys rolled in like some ghastly train. Cancelling out any birdeys he'd gained; "Another golf game", he sighed. "Oh, the pain!"

Shuffling into the house, his face fell. It tapered. His wife smirked, "You lost again, didn't you?" And imagined the caper. With an outstretched hand that 'said', "Pay her!"; Into her purse his $20 went. It vanished like a vapor!

"No dinner for me, thanks. I'm heading in early." "Awww, it's just a game," she said. "No need to be surley." "I'm not", he said. "I need to rise early." "Suuurrre!", she said. "You and the proverbial 'birdy'."

He took a shower to wash away the day; It didn't help much. That golf game would 'stay'. His spirits were lifted, though, when he thought, "But hey!" And danced around saying, "Tomorrow's another 'golf day'!"

My name is Kevin D. Rolle, and I have a website called <a target="_new" href="http://www.golf-humor-asylum.com">http://www.golf-humor-asylum.com</a> which is dedicated to the humorous aspects of golf through a fresh, new golf comic strip called, "Divott and the Caddie Chronicles," and my commentary. Thanks.

How Important Is A Golf Fitness Program

2009-01-31T23:00:00.001-08:00

A golf fitness program can make the difference between you optimizing your golf potential or playing the same frustrating golf you may be used to playing.

It's no secret that the body swings the club and plays the game?so why wouldn't you consider a golf fitness program to play your best?

A golf fitness program consists of strength, flexibility, endurance and even nutrition. But the big difference is making your golf fitness program as golf-specific as you can.

How do you do that?

First off?just take a look at the position your body is in during the golf swing. It's "on your feet" and in golf posture (bent at the waste, knees flexed, upper back fairly straight, ankles flexed, etc?).

Can you now see how any "physical limitation" you have will dramatically affect your ability to make a sound, repeatable golf swing?

So the answer is definitely starting a golf fitness program. It's not as intimidating as you may think. It doesn't take going to a gym. It doesn't involve lifting heavy weights and really killing yourself. It doesn't involve 2 hours every day of the week either.

A golf fitness program can be as simple as using a pair of hand weights (dumbbells), an exercise ball and exercise tubing. All very inexpensive, portable and perfect for your home or even your office.

You can take your exercise tubing, attach it to a door and make downswings every day of the week. This is a great exercise to sneak in at your office that will have a direct impact on the power you produce through impact.

Designing a "complete golf fitness program" will take a little more creativity. I would strongly recommend pursuing a qualified golf fitness trainer to put together a complete golf fitness program that addresses your specific physical limitations.

You don't want to waste your time on exercises and stretches you don't need to do. You want to focus on a balanced golf fitness program that will improve your weaknesses.

You will be amazed how quickly your game will turn around. I've worked with golfers who have seen improvements in a matter of days! Literally! Their fitness had declined so much they couldn't even get the ball airborne off the tee and within days were hitting it dozens of yards further.

What a joy to hear stories like that!

You too can see some huge improvements if you start your golf fitness program right away!

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. For more information on Mike's golf fitness programs, visit his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site at Perform Better Golf.

The Ultimate Swing Training Program

2009-01-31T14:10:00.001-08:00

Why isn't your golf swing improving? Have you ever had your golf swing analysed? That's not just having a golf professional look at your swing but check out your golf swing plane, posture, your spine angle, balance and general biomechanics. If you haven't you are not having a true swing analysis done.

You understand the basics... how to hold the club, where to stand, but things go wrong from there. The reason your golf swing goes astray when you take your club back is because your biomechanics are faulty. For example, if you have a functional short leg on your left side, when you take your stance your hips will rotate resulting in an open stance. You might think that you are square to the target line, but you are not.

With your poor biomechanics the club is being forced into an out-to-in swing so you will hit the ball with a clockwise spine. Correcting your hip and spine angle will square the club face at impact so you can hit the ball with an anti-clockwise spin. The hips and shoulders must return to a square position this will not only cure your slice but you allow distance from more power being generated from the correct body turn and the square club face. If your hips are rotated you will not be able to align your feet, hips and shoulders square to the target. If your posture is corrected your muscles will groove your new swing so you will naturally return to a stance with a square club face. Also if your hips are rotated your centre of gravity will not be right this will force your shoulders to turn too quickly with an open stance due to a poor hip rotation the body will be in front of the ball. If your spine angle is wrong you will not setup with your head behind the ball you will begin your downswing before you have complete your back swing with your arms.

Every golf swing fault can be analysed this way. That's why your golf swing is not improving. You are not addressing your main piece of golf equipment...YOUR BODY...and how it affects your golf swing. This is why you have difficulty repeating a good shot. Your biomechanics aren't grooved to a good swing. Muscle memory is going to return you to a poor posture unless it is retrained. Your golf professional is telling you to have good balance, keep good posture and maintain your spine angle throughout the shot. But how can you maintain your golf swing if your body won't allow it? You need your golf swing analysed from a biomechanical point of view to determine how your posture and muscle imbalances are affecting your swing.

So I broke the golf swing down from a purely biomechanical view. How does your posture affect your swing? Can it cause you to hook, slice, hit the ball fat or thin etc? The answer was yes. Because as your posture changes so does your swing plane. Then I looked at the variations in posture. Can they relate to swing faults? ...Yes, they are definitely related to every swing fault. So I came up with a basic equation. Muscle imbalance = poor posture = poor swing. I looked at every posture and muscle imbalance and came up with a simple formula to analyse these faults related to a swing fault. So this is how Get Fit to Golf and the ChiroFit Program was born. If you can maintain a constant posture and spine angle through a shot you will be able to repeat the same swing and return the club face square to the target line. I also looked at well know golf champions past and present, from Ben Hogan, Jack Nickalus, Greg Norman, Tiger Woods etc. Even though they have variations in their swings at first glance, if you break their golf swing down they all have something in common. At the impact zone they have maintained good posture, spine angle and balance, and they are able to repeat this. Tiger woods is a good example. When he first came on the golf scene he had the best posture of any golfer I had seen.

If you want to improve your golf game, your golf swing training and analysis should have a physical component. Have your golf swing analysed from a biomechanical standard and then fit it to your game. This is the basis to Get Fit to Golf. An easy to access online assessment process which will highlight and analyse your golf swing faults and then you can download a tailor-made easy to use program all done online. All it takes is 30 minutes of posture balancing three times a week to dramatically change your golf swing and improve your game for life.

Ronald Burke is the owner of <a target="_new" href="http://www.getfittogolf.com">Get Fit to Golf</a> which is a premier site for Golf information and membership programs. for more information, go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.getfittogolf.com">http://www.getfittogolf.com</a>

Why Golf Tips Work Better For The Woman Golfer

2009-01-31T03:10:00.001-08:00

Gone are the days when a woman would feel intimidated standing on the same golf course to receive a golf tip side by side with a man. That's because golf exercise programs have proven that anybody can build enough golf strength to perform extremely well on the course.

In fact on many occasions golf tips have worked better for a woman than they have for a male golfer. One of the reasons for this is that male golfers frequently believe that hitting the ball further is a question of applying more brute force.

ON the other hand women golfers have been carefully exercising and building their golf strength (which is a very different thing from trying to apply brute force with unexercised muscles).

The results have been nothing short of amazing. Many male golfers fail to realize that trying to hit a golf ball with all your strength does not work because of several reasons.

The first is that hitting a golf ball has a lot more to do with physics than trying to use strength. You will notice that every golf club is cleverly designed to help the golfer achieve various different distances when they hit the ball.

So technique is always much more important. Then there is the fact that real power comes from properly exercised muscles that are fully conditioned to hit a golf ball as far as possible.

This is the single most important golf tip that has totally transformed the golf game for a woman. It means by getting involved in weight training, as well as stretch exercises that are golf specific, any woman golfer can perform as well as a man and even better in certain instances.

This golf tip that every woman golfer should take note of has opened lady's golf to a whole lot of new possibilities and levels of performances.

IT means that for the first time many lady golfers are getting to thoroughly enjoy the game and it is the turn of male golfers, especially those who disregard exercise, to start feeling intimidated.

This is really the golf tip for a woman of the new millennium.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Golf Clubs - Your Golf Putting - Use These Putting Practice Tips

2009-01-31T02:10:00.000-08:00

To begin a golf game, your golf practice game or your golf putting practice; study the art of keeping your eye on the golf ball. It seems to be just natural to let your eyes follow the backswing. To correct this you might turn the golf ball until the brand is on top. Then just keep your eyes on that.

When putting, think of the golf swing as a pendulum and as you move through this area, strike the golf ball with the sweet spot only.

How do you find the sweet spot? Hold your putter using the thumb and forefinger. You are dangling it now and letting it swing.

With the other forefinger tap the putter blade until the putter head rebounds straight back in perfect alignment. That is the sweet spot for this putter. Some players mark it.

To judge the distance of the backswing try this exercise. Use your right big toe as an anchor and take the putter back to your right big toe.

Now, being consistent with your speed accelerate the club head through the ball and watch how far the ball rolls. You might try this in both wet and dry conditions. This gives you the ability to gauge from there how long the backswing should be for the putt you are facing.

If your distance is shorter, adjust then, for how far inside the right big toe your swing should be. Adjust outside the toe for the longer putt. Get a feel for this and you will know how far to take the putter back.

Again, it is a feeling. Accelerate through the ball and make sure your follow through is longer than your backswing. Concentrate on feeling the putter accelerate through the short putts.

In summary; You are trying consciously to get a feel for the art in your golf game. You will succeed. It just takes practice.

Author Tom Downward can be reached at this email address; <a href="mailto:info@golfequipmentworld.com">info@golfequipmentworld.com</a> This article courtesy of <a target="_new" href="http://www.golfequipmentworld.com">http://www.golfequipmentworld.com</a>

You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact. We would appreciate a courtesy email to let us know where you have placed this article.

What Hinders You From Hitting Long Drives Will Shock You

2009-01-30T10:10:00.001-08:00

Hitting long golf drives is the desire of every golfer when they are on the course.

Sadly many fail to achieve this objective most of the time and the best game in the world which you are supposed to enjoy enormously, instead ends up being a very frustrating experience.

Yet hitting long golf drives need not be so difficult to achieve. Actually the greatest hindrance to your hitting long golf drives is you.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Visit his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site at Perform Better Golf.

A Golf Fitness Exercise Program Will End Your Frustration On The Course

2009-01-30T07:30:00.001-08:00

Even as you read this article, golf fitness exercise programs continue to positively revolutionize the games of many golfers around the country and indeed around the world. A golf fitness exercise program plays a major role in helping many golfers achieve consistent and good results on the course with their swing.

Still many golfers are yet to fully appreciate the potential of a golf fitness exercise program and many are not aware of the fact that they usually have a huge impact on a golfer's game.

A golf fitness exercise program will tend to concentrate on the muscles and parts of the body used when playing golf and especially during the golf swing. A useful golf fitness exercise program will be able to help any golf attain more flexibility as well as strength on the course. It is important to remember that most of the body is used for a golf swing.

Right from the feet to the knees, hamstring and hip, the lower part of the body is critical to the golf swing. Then there are the more obvious participants in the body like the arms and upper body and neck.

A golf fitness exercise program does a significant job of ensuring that most of these muscles are ready for the strain that golf usually exerts on them.

Usually a golf fitness exercise program combines dynamic strength and flexibility exercises, as well as stabilization and core strength. Most of these exercises can be done with simple handweights (dumbbells) and exercise tubing.

No gym required!

Too many golfers go to the gym, plop down on a machine and hope their game will get better. It usually doesn't. You've always got to keep the golf swing mechanics in mind when doing a golf fitness exercise program.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness training</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Sciatica Exercises Alleviate Discomfort For Golfers

2009-01-29T22:00:00.001-08:00

If you are fortunate enough to have never experienced sciatica, you may be wondering what it is. The sciatic nerves run from your lower back down each of your legs. They are the largest nerves in the body, growing to more than a half inch in diameter. Irritation or compression of these nerves, which can range from a mild tingly pain to excruciating pain that is debilitating, is referred to as sciatica. Many golfers experience lower back problems, and often this is due to sciatica.

If you experience sciatica, a few days of bed rest or lying on the couch is not the answer. Inactivity actually aggravates the problem. Weak or inflexible muscles can cause or intensify sciatica, so it is important to keep your back and abdominal muscles in good shape. While you don't need to spend hours at the gym, some strengthening and stretching of these muscles can provide a lot of good and get you back out on the golf course.

Before you begin an exercise program to treat sciatic pain, it is important to understand what is causing the pain. Usually this will need to be diagnosed by a medical professional. For example, if you have a herniated disc your pain is being caused by disc material bulging out and applying pressure on your nerve, which in turn irritates or compresses your sciatic nerve(s). If this is the problem in your case, stretching your back can be helpful. You can do this while lying on the floor on your stomach and raising your torso up off the floor.

If, however, your sciatic is caused by spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the nerve's passageway, then different exercises will be more useful in alleviating your pain. These include stretching your back by kneeling and bending your head toward the floor with your arms stretched in front of you. Also try lying on your back and gently pulling your knees to your chest for relief of your pain. The right exercises can alleviate your discomfort and help you better enjoy your golf game.

As with many lower back problems, a good preventative measure is to maintain good posture, stay within a healthy weight range, and exercise regularly. An appropriate fitness routine can help keep you pain-free while playing golf. The sciatic nerves are especially prone to flare up when you have weak muscles, poor posture or are overweight. Keeping your back in good shape before you have problems goes a long way in reducing your likelihood of future back pain. Whenever you experience pain or discomfort, you should always seek out the diagnosis of a physician so appropriate precautions and a diagnosis can be made for corrective strategies.

Golf Swing Technique And How To Improve It

2009-01-29T17:20:00.001-08:00

There are two approaches to achieving a better golf swing. There is improving your physical capabilities?and improving your golf swing technique.

How many times has your teaching pro recommended a golf swing technique change and you couldn't do it no matter how many balls you hit? It's because you didn't have the "physical capability" to successfully make the change and repeat it.

For example, if you didn't have adequate core strength and flexibility, you would be unable to create and maintain the "x-factor", or the separation between the hip rotation and shoulder rotation, therefore losing force and ultimately distance.

But by implementing simple, golf exercises?it is possible to develop the ability to execute these key actions, which result in greater clubhead speed, force and distance.

Identifying your weak points, and doing golf-specific exercises to replicate the specific action will allow you to achieve the specific golf swing technique change effectively.

I've seen some very simple, yet effective golf exercises and stretches that when implemented and done consistently can result in substantial increases in driving distance and accuracy.

Creating specific exercises related to your teaching pros golf swing technique recommendations can give you the quickest results?that are lasting.

Suffice it to say?the development of your physical abilities?especially strength and flexibility?plays a critical role in not only improving your golf swing technique?but in hitting the ball farther and much straighter.

The bottom line?your golf swing technique is dictated by your physical capabilities.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness manual and dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf swing tips</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Golf Course History - You Could Play On The Worlds Oldest Golf Course

2009-01-29T14:50:00.000-08:00

The oldest golf course in the world...

If I asked you where the oldest golf course in the world was what would you say? Scotland ? yes, good guess so far. But where in Scotland?

When pressed most golfers eventually say St Andrews, but they're wrong. Golf was played at Musselburgh near Edinburgh at least ten years before any recorded games at St Andrews. Local records suggest that golf was played on the links land near the shore at Musselburgh from around the year 1567.

The "old course" in Musselburgh is still there today and retains much of its original layout. It has nine holes and the golf course can be played by all comers. Seven of the old course holes were laid out before 1830 (and probably much earlier) and the two "new holes" were added in the mid 1800's.

The British Open golf tournament was held at Musselburgh on five occasions between 1874 and 1889 and the first ever golf competition for women was played on the old course in 1811. The club members still compete for the Old Club Cup, which dates back to 1774.

Even the holes in the greens are significant at Musselburgh. In 1829 the members decided to buy a mechanical device from a local blacksmith to cut the holes on the green. By chance he made it with a diameter of exactly four and a half inches. Golf holes at the time could be any size that the members wanted ? there was no rule about it. In 1893 the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews ? who by this time wrote the rules of golf for the game worldwide ? decided that all golf holes should be the same size as the ones at Musselburgh old course and the decision has remained unchanged to this day. Just measure the cup size on your local golf course if you don't believe me.

For a golf course of such historical importance, access is remarkably easy. You can simply pay and play if you wish and there is a small shop selling special souvenirs. Memberships are available for both local and overseas members ? the latter might make a particularly unusual golf gift. Each overseas member receives a welcome pack with a history of the club, a special bag tag, special golf balls and tees and is welcome to join in any competitions if they come for a holiday in Scotland.

This truly is golf at it's most authentic and in its most historical setting. Come try it ? you will really feel the history of the place.

Gary Hill lives and works in central Scotland. His website has lots of information on <a target="_new" href="http://www.vacation2europe.com">travel in Europe</a> and about golf in Scotland or <a target="_new" href="http://www.vacation2europe.com/ireland-golf-vacation.html">Ireland golf vacations</a>

Gary also contributes to a medical website on the theme of <a target="_new" href="http://www.cameronmedical.com">whiplash injury</a>

What Should I Know About Biomechanics of the Golf Swing?

2009-01-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

If you've read some of my articles in the past, we focused a lot on training the body to help you provide more power, consistency and accuracy to your golf swing.

Today, we are going to get a little more scientific. So hang with me.

I am going to explain the biomechanics of golf. Biomechanics is the study of human movement.

Using this definition in golf, it is essentially studying how the body moves when swinging a golf club. Biomechanics is the study what the skeleton, muscles, and nerves of the body do when hitting a golf ball. There are actually folks out there that make a living studying these movements, they are called Biomechanists'. And the great thing about golf is that there have been a ton of scientific studies on the golf swing. In addition, this research has allowed biomechanists to create a model of the "optimal" swing in the sport of golf.

All of this research has been beneficial to the golf industry. It has provided club manufacturers, swing coaches, trainers, and players with an abundant amount of knowledge to improve the game in many areas.

Biomechanics of the Golf Swing Stage by Stage

Most biomechanists break the golf swing down into phases.

We will talk about the swing into the following phases: 1) address, 2) back swing, 3) transition, 4) down swing, 4) contact, 5) follow through, 6) finish. I will also relate what the body does during each of these phases, which muscles are active, and any additional information applicable to biomechanical study of the golf swing.

The golf swing begins in the address stage. The address stage is the position that the golfer places their body in to begin the swing. According to Glenn Fleisig MD, the address position is a functional body position which includes the proper grip and body position. A balanced, "athletic" address position, which is consistent swing to swing, will provide the golfer with the correct starting position for the swing. Inconsistency in either how the body is set up or with the grip leads to inconsistency on shot to shot. The body in terms of muscle activity is fairly low at address. The muscles of the body are supporting the body in a specific anatomical position and preparing it to swing a club.

The back swing (take away) is when the body begins to move the club. The back swing is the portion of the swing that places the body in the correct position to begin the downswing. During the entire back swing the body begins the recruitment of energy that will be transitioned at the top of the back swing towards the ball. Key points from a biomechanical analysis of the back swing are: as the club moves backwards shear force is applied to anterior portion of the right foot, at the same time a posterior shear force is applied to the left foot (Fleisig, Biomechanics of Golf). This is the beginning of torque development in the body that will be transitioned into the club head at impact. Rotation of the knees, hips, spine, and shoulders continues during the back swing creating additional torque to be translated into the club head in later stages of the swing. The important point to remember in the back swing is that the entire rotation of these body parts occurs around an imaginary axis of the body. EMG activity is moderate during this stage of the swing as a result that the body during this portion of the swing is essentially creating/storing energy that will be released towards the end of the swing.

The completion of the back swing is what is termed the "transition" stage of the swing. The transition point of the swing is where the body finishes its backward movement and begins the forward movement of the swing. The best reference point of when the transition stage of the swing begins is when weight shift onto the inside of the right foot (right-handed golfer) is completed and movement back towards the left foot begins. The transition in terms of a time frame is very short and is completed when weight transfer begins to move forward, and the club completes its movement backwards. Research states that the transition of the swing is where additional elastic energy is stored within the body. This is a result of the lower body moving forward and the upper body still "coiling" backward. Studies show that at the completion of the transition (top of the back swing) the hips are closed to approximately 45 degrees and the shoulders are closed to about 100 degrees (Fleisig, Biomechanics of Golf).

After completion of the transition, the down swing into impact begins. Weight shift continues during the down swing. The generation of torque is created in the lower body and then transitioned up through the body into the club and eventually the club head. According to Fleisig, the majority of torque in the swing is generated by the lower body muscle groups of the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and core region (low back, abdominals, obliques). The torque created in the lower body creates acceleration in the upper body as energy is transferred into the club head. EMG studies indicate that there is moderate activity of the pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, and rotator cuff muscles (Geisler, Kinesiology of the Full Golf Swing) during the downswing. The downswing is complete at the point in which impact occurs with the golf ball.

Impact with the ball occurs for approximately half a milli-second (Fleisig, Biomechanics of Golf). The purpose of impact is to hit the ball in the correct direction with the chosen amount of force by the golfer. At impact the weight transfer is complete. Shear force from both feet are towards the intended target. Research indicates that at impact the left foot (right-handed golfer) is supporting 80% to 95% of the golfer's weight (Fleisig, Biomechanics of Golf). Impact again occurs for a very short amount of time (.0005 seconds). Impact is the point at which the potential energy created by the body during the back swing, transition, and down swing is transferred into the club and club head. The potential energy created by the body is then transferred into kinetic energy as club head comes into contact with the ball.

After contact, the impact stage of the swing is complete and the follow through stage begins. The follow through is essentially the deceleration of the body after contact with the ball has been made. This is completed through the body rotating to a completion point where the club head is behind the golfer. Deceleration by the body occurs as a result of the absorption of energy back up through the kinetic chain of the body. Follow through is where the body slows itself back down and dissipates all the kinetic energy create by it, which was not delivered into the ball.

Summary

As you can see, the golf swing is directly connected to the body. And it is the body that generates, directs, and delivers energy to the golf ball. Limitations in the body in terms of flexibility, muscular strength, endurance, or power can create limitations in the swing from a biomechanical perspective. In addition, mechanical inefficiencies in the swing itself limit the potential and kinetic energy outputs of the body. For more information on how to improve your golf game please visit our website www.bioforcegolf.com.

References
1. Fleisig, Glenn MS: "The Biomechanics of Golf"
2. Geisler, Paul MA: "The Kinesiology of the Full Golf Swing"

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website <a target="_new" href="http://www.bioforcegolf.com">http://www.bioforcegolf.com</a>

Confusion Feeds the Golf Industry

2009-01-28T09:10:00.000-08:00

The policeman drops his paycheck on the kitchen table so his wife can go shopping and pay their bills. They are able to do this because somewhere down the line someone killed, raped, or robbed someone. An unnamed X (rated) President of the United States can have pizza and frollick with a starry eyed intern in the White House because you are paying the rent.

Here's a news flash for you! If you have been in a coma or have spent the last half century on Neptune, you should know that the golf industry is now a multibillion dollar a year business. What did we learn in paragraph one? Somewhere down the line someone supports, funds, feeds or makes possible the growth and maintenance of such a insatiable glutton. How did IT get so humungous? Sit here on the Anti-Pro's knee and lets toss some ideas around in our craniums.

This hungry monster needs a lot of food (money). The dope addict needs a fix. Somewhere there is a need. And, in the golf industry, that need is cleverly disguised as confusion. Confuse the golfer and he will be back for more. He doesn't want anyone to think he is stupid or no talent, so he will convince himself that maybe he just didn't get it the first time, or second, or...?

A reader sends along this interesting observation: "My experience has been that the overwhelming majority, 85-plus percent unduly complicate the golf swing. I have spent thousands of dollars to come to this conclusion. I often wonder if it is a deliberate attempt to keep one in golfing no-mans land." Thanks, Chip!

Has the beast made a puppet out of us? Send the golfer a new magazine and watch him tear into it to find the "latest tip." Try it. Doesn't work? No problem, they will send you another next month that will give you just the opposite advice. The golf pro can't tell you the golf swing is simple. He could explain it ALL in one lesson, but if he did and

IF the golf mags didn't have new "bogus"tips and the book writers didn't have a batch of golfer wanabees drooling at the thought of getting better.....They would all die an

excruciating death from starvation. They CAN"T tell the truth...It would be Suicide.

AND that $500 driver? If your swing STINKS, it will NOT make any difference. It looks pretty goofy to stand up on the first tee with a $500 club and slice it into a subdivision.

Lets build the golf swing around this premise. A 3,4,5 year old watches a good golf swing, copies it and has a beautiful swing. No hi-tech, no books, no freeze frame analysis, no series of golf lessons. Watch Daddy walk....walk. Watch Mommy walk....walk. This is an A....write an A....this is a B.

There are thousands of languages here on Earth and the part of the brain that runs motor skills (your golf swing) does not understand one of them! If you continue to swallow the grub the golf industry is dishing out, get real comfy and enjoy your stay in................

.......No Man's Land!

About The Author

Introduced to golf in 1948 at age 8, Jim McLellan quickly became known as the "Whiz Kid" with an incredible swing and a gifted ability to instruct. At age 15, students came to him at his family owned golf course from four surrounding states for lessons. Jim was consistently breaking par, owned 2 course records and was "the skinny kid" who could drive the ball 300+ yards.

Jim attended Arizona State University at Tempe on a golf scholarship and graduated from the PGA Golf School in Long Beach California in 1960.

You can learn more about Jim's simple approach to golf by going to <a href="http://www.mcgolf.com" target="_new">www.mcgolf.com</a>

<a href="mailto:ap@theantipro.com">ap@theantipro.com</a>

Do You Have the Confidence to Play Competitive Golf?

2009-01-27T18:40:00.001-08:00

Competitive golfers are always in search of the elusive characteristic called confidence. For some, they had it and now have "lost it". Others, claim never to have had it, and aren't really sure what it is. Still more know what it is because they "see it in others", but don't think they have enough for themselves. Read about, watch, or listen to athletes as they talk about confidence, and how revered this trait is. The specific answer for optimal confidence is somewhat dependent on each person's own set of circumstances. Talent, opportunity, skill, luck, and many other factors can be plugged into the confidence equation. However, there are 4 steps you can use to instill the confidence of a championship golfer.

1. If you want to have the confidence of a champion, then begin training like a champion.

Confidence comes primarily from optimal preparation and a sense of having all the requisite tools in the toolbox to adequately address the competitive situations that might confront you. This means work hard on your technical, physical, and mental preparation, or be prepared to face the inevitable consequence of self-doubt and worry when faced with difficulty when performing.

2. Catch yourself doing things right.

Most of us, when asked, can recount a litany of things that we didn't do well the last time we were on the golf course. How many things can you recall that you did well? Most of us have expectations that we're supposed to do certain things when we compete, and fail to give ourselves the credit due when we do these (so-called) routine things. Every time you hit the drive into the fairway, make a four-foot putt, or hit a green in regulation is a positive accomplishment. How many deposits do you make in your confidence bank? If you're like most, you're certainly making plenty of withdrawals!

3. Strengthen your weaknesses.

Make an honest accounting of where you believe yourself to be weakest and do whatever it takes to improve. This can be a physical or mental area, and addressing the "weakest link" will boost your confidence. Virtually every player with whom I've worked has a particular area of his or her game that feels weak relative to the rest, and few people are willing to put in the extra time and energy to overcome this. It's usually more enjoyable and less frustrating to work on our strengths.

4. Measure yourself against your own criteria.

Many people allow their confidence to be shaken easily and quickly because of comparisons to others. How many of us have experienced the circumstance where we're feeling pretty good about our abilities, only to permit our egos to be bruised because someone else we see is faster, stronger, more consistent, or more proficient? This is toxic to our confidence, without regard to how we're performing. If, instead, we measure our performance based on our own realistic expectations and where we are developmentally, we are much less likely to be caught up in the race to be as good as someone else. Instead, we are in the race to improve ourselves and rely on our own standard to evaluate our gains and/or setbacks.

Jeff Troesch, MA, LMHC is an internationally recognized expert in the mental side of golf. As the former Director of Sport Psychology for the David Leadbetter Golf Academies, Jeff has worked with thousands of golfers nationwide and brings a wealth of experience to seasoned golf professionals as well as the recreational golf lover. You may contact Jeff directly through his website, <a target="_new" href="http://www.fitnessforgolf.com">http://www.fitnessforgolf.com.</a>

Three Tips To Help You Benefit From Golf Video Instruction

2009-01-27T15:10:00.001-08:00

Golf video instruction can be a powerful tool in helping any golfer improve their handicap. Yet many golfers do not fully benefit from them.

The reason is that their approach is wrong and they are therefore unable to benefit from the practical advice and tips received through golf video instruction.

Here I carry three tips to help you benefit and reap the full rewards from golf video instruction tapes.

A) Watch the whole golf video instruction tape to the end first and then slowly review it starting from the beginning. Quite as you enjoy watching the golf video for the very first time, most of the instructions and tips will hardly be remembered.

Exactly the same thing happens when you read a book whose contents you want to retain. This is why it is very important to go through the golf video a second time carefully taking note of the all the instruction and tips. It is not a bade idea to record it all in a note book.

B) Apply only one golf video instruction tip at a time to your game.

Usually you will end up with a huge volume of instruction and tips from the golf video. It is therefore advisable to apply one at a time, rather than try to apply several and when you do not seem to get any result, you simply abandon everything.

This is exactly what most golfers do. Be patient and apply the tips one at a time. You will find that some do not work for you. Do not get discouraged, move to the next one and patiently work your way through your entire list.

C) Combine you application of the golf video instruction with a golf-specific exercise program.

There are many things in golf which will be extremely difficult to apply to your game if you are not physically fit. Or at least golf-fit. Some techniques can even increase the risk of injury if you are not involved in any golf exercise program.

Ensuring that you are golf fit is a very important requirement for reaping maximum benefits from golf video instruction tapes.

Golf Ideas Clone Golf Clubs Buyers Guide

2009-01-27T07:10:00.001-08:00

The Truth

Lets be honest you decided to click on this link for one of the following reasons:

You want to improve your golf game (score). You were intrigued by the prices we offer compared to Name Brand equipment. You want to finally have a set of irons or a driver that is custom fit to your swing. With that being said, I want to tell you that you have come to the right place, and our Buyer's Guide will help you in ALL of those areas. And lucky for you it will not be in the typical complicated jargon that most Fitting guides are arranged in. This will be in a straight forward step by step process, that will have you on your way to a better, more enjoyable game in no time.

The Problem(s) Golf is actually a simple game our brains and golf magazines just make it more complicated then it needs to be. The majority of golfers have the same problems that need to be fixed. But most of us come to the solution in the wrong manner. We tend to think that if something new comes out it must be better and that the higher the price on the equipment you buy means the better the equipment must be. Then we tend to blame ourselves when that $1200 set we purchased does not lower our score.

We want you to remember that the Pro shop salesmen that sold you your set has most likely never built a set of clubs and most likely does not know what the specifications of the Pro-line shafts are. The shaft is the motor, and who wants to buy a Lexus with a Yugo motor under the hood?

The Solution Whether the problem you are having with your game seems to be simple or complicated. It most likely can be fixed by looking at your present game and equipment from only a few different angles.

You could feel like you have the best swing in the world and the following variables could be killing your game. Club Head Style, Shaft Choice, Shaft Length, Grip Size and Flex are the major components to properly fitting a golfer and if ONLY ONE of these variables is not matched up to your swing you could be in for a nightmare of bad habits to come.

Take only a few minutes out of your day to look over the following Self-Help Guides and we promise that you will not only improve your game but you will be become the most informed golfer on your block.

Club Head Style

Did you ever say to yourself, "I don't feel like my swing is that bad, why can't I still break (80,90,100)." Well if you do then CLUB HEAD STYLE might be one of your problems.

Technology has come a long way, so if you are still playing irons that are 5 years old or more you most likely could benefit from the advances in new iron head construction. Here are some of the variables of a head that have an impact on making the game a little easier for the average golfer. Click on each title for how each one can help your game. Yes, we know this is a lot of information for just the first section but take it step by step and let it sink in a little.

Offset

Offest is the amount the face of the club sits back from the hosel, this aids in helping reduce a slice with your clubs. Generally the better golfer you are the less offset you want. However this is not always true. For some reason the better your score gets the less you start liking the look of the iron head sitting that far back from the hosel. It is a hand control issue more then anything else. When you feel like you are the one actually in control of the club you want there to be less and less offset on your new sticks. But for a Mid to High handicap player offset can be a MAJOR factor in making solid contact more often. And the best analogy I can give you is if you were a baseball player would you rather have the feeling of hitting a home run or a broken bat single. Solid contact plays a major role in ditance and accuracy control. So if you are constantly having that broken bat single feeling with your irons you might want to consider going to a head with more offset.

Perimeter Weighting

You might have noticed the trend in the cavity design of new irons lately. Irons in past years had more of the weight behind the impact area of the cavity. Today's irons have more of the weight towards the perimeter of the cavity. This is what is called PERIMETER WEIGHTING . If you always hit the ball dead center perfect, you would want a small sweet spot and no perimeter weighting so you could put as much physical mass directly behind the impact point of the ball. This would make a very long shot. However, if you are off - even just a millimeter - your shot will go astray. By having an iron that is perimeter weighting you are maximizing the forgiveness of your irons. So unless you play 4 to 5 times a week you most likely do not hit the center of the sweet spot 100% of the time. Therefore you might want to consider the amount of perimeter weighting you need on your irons.

Sole Width

Sole width is another factor when considering your next iron set purchase. Put simply the larger the mass on your irons the easier it is to be grabbed in a tighter lie out of the rough. A narrower sole is easier out of tight lies and wider soles are easier from plush lies. That is why we tend to recommend a mid to wide soled iron and more blade style wedges. The majority of your wedge shots are going to be from tighter lies or you might have to carry a bunker and still be able to stop it quickly on the green. So for your SW and LW you might want to consider looking in our wedge section and choose from a more traditional shaped wedge.

Heel to Toe Length

This iron attribute is more cosmetic then anything else. But it does affect forgiveness. Some players like the look of a more compact iron, although a longer heel to toe design has a larger effective hitting area. So if you are the kind of golfer that is looking for the maximum amount of forgiveness you might also want to consider a longer heel to toe design.

Face Height

Face Height is similar to Heel to Toe length. If you are looking for the most forgiving iron you should take face height in consideration.

SHAFT CHOICE Shaft Choice is the most important dynamic to improving your present game and equipment. We know that you are hearing this a lot lately, but this is one statement your buddy is right about.

Most recreational golfers think that flex is the ONLY thing they need to worry about in regards to being fit properly. You don't know how many times we get the guy saying, "Give me x-stiff in my driver, and he hits the ball 175 yds off the tee. Or the guy that says, "Well my buddy saw me swing and he said I need stiff." First things first, don't listen to the buddy who just read a "Golf Digest" and thinks he's the golf guru, but still shoots 20 strokes worse then you do. I personally think that custom club builders are the most knowledgable in the business in regards to being able to properly fit a golfer. That is our job, to properly fit and build irons and woods to a golfers swing. Pro Line shops are there to sell equipment and have most likely never built a club . So we would hope you would call someone in our field before having "Harry the Hacker" giving you a backyard fitting.

Ok, enough of the rambling by us lets get down to how we are going to help you become not only a more knowledgable golfer but a better golfer as well.

Kick Points

Ball flight is a problem for many golfers that are not even aware of it. Many golfers are losing 3-5 strokes a round just because they have too low of a ball flight pattern. No, we do not want you to have a high BALLONING ball flight. But, yes you do want a more penetrating higher ball flight that lands softly. Think about the shots that you have to play over a bunker with the pin tucked closely behind . With too low of a ball flight you might land on the green but not be able to stop the ball before you have run it 30 ft past the pin. You happily walk up to the green, pray for a two putt and go to the next tee box. But what if you could have played that same shot and been able to stop the ball 10-15 ft past the cup. You might have been able to sink a one putt and saved one to two strokes on that hole alone. The tables below show which shafts give you the ball flight you are looking for.

Shaft Torque

Just because a shaft says stiff flex does not mean that it is the right shaft for you, even if you fit that criteria. Torque comes into play as well when properly fitting a shaft to a golfers swing speed.

Think about a $4 graphite shaft that is a stiff flex and a $40 graphite shaft that is also a stiff flex. There has to be a reason why that shaft is more expensive . Generally it is for a couple reasons : Better materials, better tolerances, and more precise kick points and torque tolerances for the flex it should correspond with.

To get the maximum distance and control out of your shaft you need to have the right torque rating . If you hit the ball 275 on average without roll and are playing a 2.5 torque stiff shaft you are most likely not getting everything out of that shaft as you should be. Remember torque is the amount the head turns on the shaft from right to left. If you do not put enough load on the shaft to maximize the 2.5 torque rating you are not allowing the shaft to load and unload to its maximum capacity. Therefore you are not getting the maximum distance out of your new stick.

Most hitters need "a little pop" to help the clubhead release properly through impact. Players should not get carried away in thinking that lower torque means better control. The following chart will assist you in getting the right torque rating for your next driver shaft. Remember that this rating is more precise for higher quality shafts, due to the fact that they rate there shafts more accurately.

Shaft Weight

DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO SWINGWEIGHTING SO MUCH. To many golfers get caught up in trying to get that D2 weighting they hear about . But remember every golfer likes a different feel . Some like more feel in the head some like their weight more evenly distributed throughout the entire club. And remember also that irons and woods are different . I prefer a lighter feeling head on my driver, so by the 14 th hole I don't feel like I am lugging around a 2 X 4 . This way I feel like I am in more control of my game throughout my entire round. This is just one opinion, but the point is to have you start actually thinking about the clubs in your bag in a different light . Think about it, if you could afford a $5000 suit that was totally custom fit to your body and money was no issue then you would do that for yourself. Well why wouldn't you completely customize your driver or new irons if you could afford it. Oh yeah you can!! With the prices we sell our equipment for, you can customize your clubs in every aspect possible.

SHAFT LENGTH

Shaft length is very important but typically shaft length in drivers is where most golfers are making their mistakes . However for your irons we do not want you tailoring your swing to your clubs . There are enough variables to be worried about in golf, the last thing you want is to have a perfect swing and equipment that does not match up.

Do you find yourself choking up more often then not? Or do you wake up the morning after your round with a sore back? That is your body telling you that you need to get your clubs custom fit. In addition, that is also your body telling you it is having to change its motion to match up to your equipment. NOT GOOD. If you take your body out of its natural rhythm, BELIEVE me your game will never be allowed to flourish.

Below is a list of problems that could be occurring due to the wrong length shaft:

Clubs Too Long

Low Hook - Tends to make the toe of the club stick up. This causes the heel of your club to grab first which turns your toe in causing the right to left spin on the ball and the lower ball flight. Higher Ball Flight Then Normal ? Many times golfers with too long of a club will tend to try to over compensate, which causes them to stand too tall and lean back on their downswing. The leaning back can cause extra loft to be added to the head which can cause a high shot with a loss of distance. Super Fat Shots - Your body has to compensate for the extra length if your clubs are too long. But since this is not your bodies natural motion it will tend to forget about 40% of the time. So when your body forgets that extra length makes contact with the ground a hair to soon. This is what will cause those Super-Fat shots. Worm Burner - This is the opposite of the Super-Fat shot . In this instance your body actually over compensates for the length and stands too tall. You then make your contact in the center of the ball. This will cause that screaming worm burner or the shot that flies 60 yds. over the green. Clubs Too Short

Push Or Slice - Too short of an iron will have to toe pointing down into the ground. This causes the toe to grab to early and pushes your heel forward. This causes the left to right spin or the open face which causes the push or slice. Catching It Thin - If you are catching it a little thin more often then not. You might have a set of irons that are a little too short for you.

SHAFT FLEX

Imagine taking your 9 yr old sons clubs out to play in your next tournament. Or imagine playing with the long drive Champions driver. You think you would be able to perform as well with their equipment? Most likely not. And one of the reasons is because the flex of those clubs most likely does not fit your swing speed . Flex is the amount the club flexes from front to back. Torque is the amount the head twists from right to left (FOR RIGHTIES). So both components are important when it comes to picking the right shaft for your game.

Too flexible of a shaft and your going to have less control, and you will produce a draw or a hook.

Too stiff of a shaft and you are going to lose some distance, and you will produce a fade or a slice.

We would love to give you a table that shows exactly what swing speed corresponds with what shaft flex. But unfortunately every shaft company goes by different standards . So a UST Gold 75 stiff might play a whole flex stiffer then a Penley Graphite Light Stiff. The following tables are a good rule of thumb for the majority of shafts on the market.

The Owner's ideas have not wavered since to big E-Commerce boom took off. Owner, Adam Beach knew that they were not going to strike gold by just simply starting an online business. He knew that this was not different then a brink and mortar shop. "You still have to provide a service. And then you cannot just forget about them after they have walked or "clicked" out of your store" says Beach. When you visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.golfideas.com" title="Clone Golf Clubs">Golf Ideas - Clone Golf Clubs</a> you quickly get the feeling that these guys have the right stuff. But it is not until you call them until you get the full effect of why they are still around after 6 years online.

Fitness For Golf Is The New Gold Standard

2009-01-26T19:40:00.001-08:00

Fitness for Golf is the new golf standard for tour playing professionals. Be sure to fitness and a regular golf exercise program as one of the weapons in your arsenal of competitive play.

Is Golf Conditioning Exercise Too Strenuous

2009-01-26T15:50:00.001-08:00

Is golf conditioning exercise so strenuous that most people will have difficulties going through them? Most amateur golfers and people who have not been through any golf exercise program in their lives definitely believe so.

Especially when you start to mention such terrifying exercise equipment as dumb bells and the likes. They quickly get a picture o a crowded gym filled with much younger fitter people making fun of them.

Yet the truth of the matter is that golf conditioning exercises are fairly easy to do and are far from being strenuous and too physically demanding.

In fact golf conditioning exercises are as strenuous and physically demanding as the golf game is. Nothing more and definitely nothing less.

The fact that senior citizens are able to go through them with ease proves that the fears some amateur golfers have are really unfounded and not based on facts.

Not to mention that very young golfers, some of them yet to reach their teenage years have also joined golf conditioning exercise programs and seen dramatic and positive results in their games.

It is interesting that more and more parents are now realizing that this is an investment that can easily pay off with their kids getting partial and even full scholarships to college.

In fact the rally strenuous and physically demanding side of golf these days is reserved for golfers who ignore golf conditioning exercises. More so every day as an increasing number of amateur golfers enrol in golf conditioning exercise programs in an effort to improve their games.

It is also important to note that some exercises in many good golf conditioning exercise programs can be carried out in the comfort of the home.

These are mainly stretch exercises which have a very important role to play in golf conditioning exercises as they improve flexibility and usually have a huge impact on improving the golf swing.

Obviously there is nothing to fear in golf conditioning exercises.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

How To Properly Check The Club Heads Of Second Swing Used Golf Club

2009-01-26T10:10:00.001-08:00

Interested in Second Swing used golf club? No surprise there. Second Swing golf clubs are swiftly gaining popularity these days. And why not, they durable and with good quality. So with the rising demands I wrote this article on how to properly check the clubheads of Second Swing used golf clubs. This is vital task so you get a good quality and good performing Second Swing golf clubs for a fair price. Avoiding you regrets, saves you time and money.

First thing you check is the face wear of the Second Swing used golf club. You can easily tell if it's been used for a long time because it will show a shiny worn spot in the center, avoid this at all cost. Owning such would be disastrous to you're accuracy for that kind of clubface won't hold the ball well.

Check the grooves of the Second Swing used golf club and makes sure the edges are still well defined.

Also avoid the Second Swing used clubs that show indentations in the clubface. This too will affect you're accuracy greatly.

Then try to get a golf club that has a bigger clubhead, especially if you're a beginner. This will give you a higher chance of hitting the sweet spot and also bigger clubheads are more forgiving.

It is vital that you check thoroughly a Second Swing used golf club. This will prevent future discomforts and nuisances, and help you have a more satisfying golf game. I hope you find this article helpful in you're quest to for a Second Swing used golf club.

If you're interested for more free golf articles. I encourage you to visit my site at http://golf-tips.useful-tips.com.

Jed Baguio is the webmaster of <a target="_new" href="http://Golf-Tips.Useful-Tips.com">http://Golf-Tips.Useful-Tips.com</a> - A site dedicated to bring you free golf articles and proven products that will help you're golf game tremendously.

Golf Exercises - Improving Fitness for Power and Consistency

2009-01-26T03:20:00.001-08:00

Perhaps one of the biggest changes in the golf world today is the increased emphasis on fitness for golf. Tour professionals and amateurs alike are practicing regular fitness routines specifically targeted for golf. The results are more powerful and stable golf swings. Needless to say, the scores are going lower.

The golf swing is a very complex movement, requiring much from the body. Only if the body is flexible and strengthened, can one expect consistent and powerful golf swings. Mo matter what your current physical condition or your handicap, your golf game can benefit by regular exercise targeted with the golf swing in mind.

Top touring pros all use functional exercises which mimic the actual demands of the golf swing. The goal of functional training will be to challenge the body's neurological system even further by steadily increasing our demands. You'll find exercises in several planes of motion and incorporate stable and unstable environments.

It's important to regularly perform an assessment of your current fitness levels. By identifying weaknesses and strengths, you won't waste valuable workout time. This will allow you to place the emphasis on those movements which will provide you with the greatest opportunity for improvement. Sometimes it seems hard to concentrate on areas of weakness, as it is much easier to perform the exercises where we already have proficiency. The quality of your overall fitness and the improvement in your golf game hinge on how committed you are to working on your weak areas.

Flexibility, stability and power are all improved by exercising for golf. As you begin to develop a regular golf exercise regimen, be sure to concentrate on functional exercise for golf. These exercises include a combination of movements designed to both strengthen the muscles as well as improve neuromuscular coordination. Therefore, when you take your golf swing, the body's already been conditioned to perform in a similar manner. Strength training and stretching exercises will go the distance to improve your game.

Today?s Golf Schools Bring In The Elements Of Instruction And Fitness

2009-01-25T23:10:00.001-08:00

What comes to mind when you think of golf lessons through a golf school? Do you imagine hours of instruction on the range and putting green? Maybe the school teaching professionals will review the fundamentals and even include a playing lesson. While each of these elements has an important role in improvement of your golf swing, do you have any idea what might be missing? Today's golf schools incorporate much more than a teaching lesson and round of golf. Today's schools incorporate fitness as an integral part of the golf experience.

Why has fitness become a part of golf instruction? Golf professionals understand that fitness plays a critical role in word class golf. Fitness has a long list of benefits that aid beginning through advanced golfers. So it only makes sense to combine it with golf instruction for a more satisfying learning experience.

As you consider your various options for a golf school, be sure to check each one out thoroughly. The more innovative golf schools will have a fitness center and golf fitness specialist you can work with. Typically, a full physical assessment is performed by a qualified fitness instructor. Through various physical tests and assessments they can determine your strength, flexibility, endurance levels and nutritional needs for golf. This information is then shared with the instructor for the benefit of the golfer. Experienced golf professionals can also link faults in your golf game to areas for improvement in your fitness level. This helps to direct their instruction and personalize it to your game.

Competitive golf today has deemed fitness as a necessity. Golf schools have followed this lead and provide students with the fitness and golf instruction tools necessary to improve their game. Golf schools have become more robust and the benefits are yours for the taking.

The Impact of Golf Specific Exercise

2009-01-25T10:00:00.001-08:00

Golf specific exercises are part and parcel of the modern day golf game. Yet many people associate golf specific exercises with exercises used in other sports and by other athletes involved in more rigorous sporting activities.

For example many golfers look down on golf specific exercises that involve lifting weights. The fear that they will develop muscles which will tend to make them stiff and less flexible in their golf game. Everybody knows that flexibility is very important in golf.

Yet the truth of the matter is that golf specific weight exercises have nothing to do with building muscles like a weight lifter. This is because lighter weights are used and the lifting action is repeated more times. The effect of this is to build strength and not muscles.

Strength in muscles has a remarkable effect on the quality of a golf game, especially when the muscles targeted are all "golf muscles".

The other wrong image people often have about golf specific exercises is that there are as rigorous and as demanding as the sort of exercises one would find in a marine corps training program.

This cannot be further from the truth, especially when some of the golf specific stretch exercises can be done from the comfort of the office or the home. Some can even be effectively carried out on your chair in the office, without you having to get up from your chair. Stretch exercises are some of the most important and critical golf specific exercises. It is important to warm up before this exercises and also after you game of golf.

Again these warm up exercises need not be as difficult as you probably imagine. It can be simply a brisk walk from your car to the course.

Achieving a good enjoyable game of golf these days has become very difficult without the help of golf specific exercises.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Visit his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness - golf training</a> site at Perform Better Golf.

How A Golf Trainer Can Take Your Game To The Next Level

2009-01-25T09:10:00.001-08:00

Having a golf trainer in your corner to give you guidance, motivation and ongoing, cutting-edge golf fitness information will put you leaps and bounds above your playing partners and competitors.

An experienced golf trainer will be able to diagnose your current level of fitness, physical limitations and prescribe the right program for you in which you will make the most of your time and money.

I hear so many horror stories of a 'general' fitness trainer calling himself a golf trainer only to end up making the client (golfers' ) game even worse.

How discouraging would that be?

A qualified golf trainer will not only have the appropriate education and background, but have a deep understanding of the golf swing and mechanics. And be able to apply his/her exercise physiology knowledge to the benefit of the golfer.

Upon meeting a potential golf trainer you should ask some golf-specific questions to test the golf trainers' knowledge of golf. You'll know in less than one minute if they in fact do know something about the golf swing. If you have the least bit of hesitation, move on to the next golf trainer until you find one you feel will help you the most.

Now the bad news!

A golf trainer is a specialized professional and will not be cheap. Most of you will not have the the luxury to have a golf trainer one time, let alone 3 to 5 times a week, every week. This would cost in the thousands of dollars every month.

The average, 'qualified' golf fitness expert will charge anywhere from a low of $40 per session to a high of over $250. The more experienced the golf trainer, the more they will charge.

So what are you options if the above scenario is a little too out of your economic reality?

The next best thing is to get some golf fitness videos (dvds) that take you through the entire golf fitness session from start to finish?including stretches, warm ups, cool downs and advice.

This is the next best thing to having a golf trainer in person. I have been fortunate enough to receive hundreds of emails and letters from golfers who have greatly benefited from this format of training.

There are not too many fitness and/or golf fitness videos (dvds) on the market that take you through an actual workout. Most of them show you the exercise and discuss the do's and don'ts.

What you really need is a golf fitness video (dvd) that takes you step-by-step through the workout so you have an idea of proper technique, pace of the session and a huge sense of satisfaction when it is done.

Then to have the wherewithal to put that video (dvd) back in the player in 48 hours and do it again. And again. And again. This will give you the best, most quickest results.

You really want to make sure it is a 'complete workout'. Not just exercises and then you have to figure out how to put them together in a workout format. I can't tell you how many times I've purchased workout videos only to have to figure them out on my own.

What a big waste of time and frustration!

You want "plug-and-play!"

So there is hope to finally have a golf trainer in your home on a weekly basis. One that will motivate you and inspire you to continue and strive to be the best you can be.

Go out and get your very own golf trainer!

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf trainers in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Check out his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness dvd's</a> at Perform Better Golf.

Golf Strength Training Is The Missing Link To A Great Game

2009-01-24T20:40:00.001-08:00

Golf strength training is the quickest way to add yards to your drives and eliminate back pain forever. The golf swing puts a tremendous amount of stress on the body, especially the lower back. Implementing a golf strength training program will prevent and/or reduce boughts of low back pain and injury.

When it comes to driving distance in golf, it takes an optimum level of strength, especially in the "core muscles", to produce a high enough swing speed to hit the ball optimum distances.

If the "core" isn't strong enough, you won't be able to store and generate any power during the backswing and downswing, and into impact.

Trying to swing harder, and outside what your body is capable of doing, and the result will be more mishits and shorter drives due to off-center impact on the clubface. But if you can make a FULL backswing and store that energy in your "core", you will produce more clubhead speed without swing harder.

The beauty of being stronger, specific to golf is the added benefit of hitting the ball longer, with less effort. This removes the injury factor and improves consistency.

Many golfers think they need to hit MORE balls. That's not the case. Hitting more balls will only put more stress on their already weak bodies, resulting again in injuries and unlimited time "off the course".

The main emphasis in regards to golf strength training should be your "core", which is the abdominals, hips, glutes and even the hamstring tie-in. Doing golf strength exercises involving rotational movements will warrant the best, most effective results.

Remember, the golf swing is a rotational movement and any golf strength training programs should incorporate a big percent of the golf exercises to rotational movements.

A good example of such an exercise would be the seated twist with exercise tubing.

? Using door attachment, place tubing 3 feet from ground in door.

? Place ball several feet from door. Grab both handles with both hands.

? Face sideways from the door, raise hands to chest high with arms extended.

? Rotate hands holding tubing away from door until there is sufficient tension.

? While keeping hands at chest high return to starting position, but maintain tension on tubing at all times.

? Repeat until full set is done and reverse motion and position facing the other way.

This is just one of dozens of golf strength training exercises that will quickly and dramatically transform your game. You will have wondered why you hadn't started years ago.

It's NEVER too late to start! Don't put it off any longer!

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is a respected golf fitness expert, and the author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, numerous golf fitness tips and founder of several online golf fitness sites. For more information on his new, cutting-edge golf fitness e-book, go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.ultimategolffitnessguide.com.">http://www.ultimategolffitnessguide.com.</a>

Improving Your Golf Swing

2009-01-24T13:50:00.001-08:00

You've got your golf clubs, your 18-pack of golf balls, your bag, your shoes, even one of those fancy little electronic caddies. You're as ready as Tiger Woods ever was when he stepped onto a golf course for the very first time. Maybe you're a little taller and older than he was, but you know you're just as ready. Suddenly, by the third hole, you're beginning to wonder how much you can get for all that "barely-used" equipment.

If you're having trouble with consistency and accuracy ? putting the ball in the same general spot you intended, each time you hit it ? then you might want to step off the course, grab a bucket of golf balls, and head for the driving range to get some practice in on your swing.

Since you're probably on your own, unless you decide to take a lesson, just learn this - the secret to improving your swing is to figure out where you might be going wrong and then practice to correct the problem. You want to make all of the major factors affecting your swing consistent, so that you can develop a repeatable swing. Once you've got that consistency, then you can fine-tune the little details. What's so nice about working to improve your swing is that you have such an easy test to see if it's working ? is the ball landing in the general area you planned? If the answer is yes, it's working. Pretty simple!

Start by reviewing what you are doing now with your stance. If you could place a broom handle on the ground so that it just touched the toe of each shoe, the end heading off towards the green should point directly at the flag. Your shoulders and hips should be parallel to that line and should stay that way throughout your swing. Not keeping the whole body parallel to that imaginary line is probably the most common problem new golfers have with their stance.

Now, we're getting to the trickier parts of your golf swing - the moving parts. It's sometimes hard to tell exactly what you might be doing wrong from this point on, so it can help to slow your swing down and have a friend or golfing buddy stand in front of you to explain what they see. Compare that to what you know you should be doing, and take it from there.

The first movement you're going to look at is your back swing. Make sure you are using a smooth, even motion during your back swing ? nothing jerky or aggressive. Remember, your swing won't get better just because you swing faster or harder, chances are, it will get worse! The most common mistake that novice golfers make on the back swing is to flick their wrists backward right away like they would when swinging a baseball bat. Don't! Let it be a natural motion instead. Watch any of the pros on the PGA tour ? watch Woods, Mickelson, Sorenstam and Kim ? most of them begin their wrist break just a little bit before the golf club reaches the horizontal position.

After looking at your back swing, take a peek at what's going on at the transition ? the point at the top of your swing, just before you bring the golf club forward. Most novice golfers don't allow the club to actually stop for a fraction of a second, and it should. After that brief stop, bring the club back down in that same even, fluid motion you worked on for your back swing. Flicking your wrists forward fast and hard is, again, what we do with a baseball bat. And if you haven't noticed by now, that little white critter on the tee is a whole lot smaller than a baseball!

Now, you're at the actual point where you make contact with the ball. Don't try to power through the ball with your arm and shoulder muscles. You're probably tired of hearing me say this, but this, too, is how we are used to hitting a baseball. If you do it during your golf swing, though, it only weakens your swing and throws the club head out of alignment. Instead, using your whole torso and even your leg muscles will help correct it, as well as one other common problem novice golfers have - letting the club face close or open up. At the moment of contact, the front and back edges of the club head should perpendicular to that imaginary broom handle you laid out earlier.

Think you're done? Not yet! You still have your follow through to consider. The biggest mistake a beginning golfer makes is to slow down after they've hit the ball. To ensure a full swing, keep your club head near the ground for about six inches on the follow through. This helps you swing through the ball, not stab at it. Again, keep that smooth, even speed all the way until the club head is up behind your head ? a full swing is just that; it makes a complete circle from start to finish. Remember, it doesn't matter whether you have a driver, an iron, or a wedge in your hands; the swing speed should remain the same throughout the entire swing for all of them, and a consistent swing speed will improve your accuracy noticeably!

As you can see, the most common problem most novice golfers have with their golf swing is that they try to hit the ball with the same general motion and muscles that they would use to swing a baseball bat. That's only natural, since a bat's probably the main thing most of us grew up swinging. But it's totally wrong too. Almost everything about a golf swing is different from swinging a bat, and the only way to get it right is practice, practice, practice!

Like Bob Hope once said, "If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf!"

Once you've kitted yourself out and bought all that shiny new golf equipment find yourself a good local <a href="http://golf-unlimited.info/golf-courses/public-golf-courses.html" target="_blank">public golf course</a> and set about practicing your <a href="http://golf-unlimited.info/golf-swing/golf-swing.html" target="_blank">golf swing</a>

Discover How Golf Schools Can Help You Play Better

2009-01-23T17:40:00.001-08:00

Services offered by Golf Schools need to be analyzed before joining it. A number of schools have mushroomed all around and every school claims that their school is the best. In view of such claims, it becomes difficult for the individuals to take a decision.

The objective of joining a Golf school is to learn the golf and become a good player if not a great player.

Swing is most important for every golfer. A more powerful, consistent golf swing is attainable for every golfer. The learner must know how to get more distance with all clubs and increase accuracy at the same time.

Swing Technology helps in learning the golf swing and other aspects of the sport.

Services Offered

The learner should always focus on the services offered by Golf Schools and not on their tall claims like "We have won Maximum number of Teacher of the Year award" or we have nationwide training schools etc. One should see and if possible take the opinion of somebody, who has already taken training from that school. Some salient features that must be part of the services offered by golf school, while deciding the training school.

1. The class size should range between 4 to 16 students and the teacher ratio should not be more than 4-1. However, 2-1 would be ideal, if possible.

2. The coach must be an ace golfer and should have excellent communication skills to make the learner understand the game and feel comfortable and secure.

3. The skills and the requirements must be clearly understood by the coach and he should be able to tailor it according to the needs of the individual. The groups of students must be made according to the abilities.

4. Apart from a good coach the institute must also have other facilities like:

i. Latest Video Analysis Equipments,

ii. Launch Monitor Technology,

iii. Swing Learning Aids,

iv. Should be able to scientifically measure a golfer's current swing and pinpoint his or her weaknesses,

v. Help develop a plan for measurable improvement.

vi. The staff should know the game and should be able to teach; so all golfers get all benefits where it really needs - on the golf course.

5. Last but not the least, the price. The cost of learning must be justifiable.

Thus, one should analyze the Services offered by Golf Schools taking the points mentioned above into consideration, before deciding on the Golf School.

Bud Bradley is a freelance writer, working long hours at a computer. His main relaxation is golf, and over many years he's visited many golf schools in an attempt to improve his game. This series of articles relates his experience.

Discover valuable advice and information about golf schools - what should you look for, and what you should avoid. Find out how to play the best golf you can play... Click <a target="_new" href="http://www.golf-schools-uncovered.com/golf-school-vacation.html">http://www.golf-schools-uncovered.com/golf-school-vacation.html</a>

** Attn Ezine editors / Site Owners ** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include my resource box as listed above.

What is Golf Exercise Equipment And How Can It Help

2009-01-23T08:30:00.001-08:00

Golf exercise equipment can be a variety of pieces; but what truly is golf exercise equipment?

You'd be surprised to find out it is not expensive; and is not necessarily in a gym or health club either.

Yes?there are golf "machines" for stretching and strength building that are well over one thousand dollars, but are definitely not needed.

When you think of the golf swing, it's a dynamic movement completed in space with your 'whole' body. So any kind of training or golf exercise equipment should be able to accommodate this.

For starters, a pair of hand weights (dumbbells) are inexpensive, portable and can be used for dozens of golf-specific exercises. They don't have to be heavy or cumbersome. You'd be surprised what a 5 to 8 pound pair of dumbbells can accomplish with the right golf exercises.

Next on the list of golf exercise equipment is tubing. You may have seen it in articles, on the television or in a catalog. Exercise tubing is extremely portable, very inexpensive and also can be used to mimic many phases of the golf swing, but with resistance.

I personally use exercise tubing in all of my programs, with all of my personal clients and in my own golf workouts. It can give you one heck of a workout if you have the right resistance. These bands come in varying tensions from light to extra heavy.

Another piece of golf exercise equipment is a stability ball. It's the big 'beach ball' looking thing that is used in offices to sit on, in many exercise classes, at most health clubs and all of the physical therapy clinics.

Why? Because again it's portable, inexpensive and very versatile. Doing golf exercises on the ball incorporate core stabilization, balance and stability. All important factors in a mechanically sound golf swing.

And the last piece of golf exercise equipment is the weighted medicine ball. You might remember them from several decades ago as the big leather balls that the old fitness fanatics used to improve strength and power.

Well now they're back! They are used in every sport-specific strength program in existence. You can do so many sport-like movements with them and they weigh as much as 20 pounds, so you can imagine the benefit from a power standpoint.

I have a couple of my 'bread-and-butter' exercises I use in all my programs that incorporate the weighted medicine ball and they are very effective.

So there you have it! Three or four pieces of inexpensive and portable golf exercise equipment.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Visit his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site at Perform Better Golf.

Will You Have The Time For Your Golf Training Exercise

2009-01-22T04:30:00.001-08:00

Modern living is such that many amateur golfers fear golf training exercise programs. This is usually for various reasons, some of which are with good reason.

One of them is the genuine fear that they will never be able to find the time for any golf training exercise program.

This sometimes keeps golfers from joining golf training exercise programs. Some golfers wonder how they will ever find time for exercises when getting the time to play golf is a problem in itself.

So these golfers can only continue to play their frustrating golf, heavily dependant on luck and hope that some other miracle working golf improvement wonder will come along some day

This should not really be the case because joining a golf training exercise program is easier than most people believe. The good news is that good golf training exercise programs address the issue of executives who play golf being short of time, rather creatively.

There are a large number of exercises in these programs that can be carried out in the comfort of the office when you have a moment. Some can easily be done at home even as you continue to do your other usually activities.

While it is true that good golf training exercise programs will usually involve strength training where you will need to use exercise equipment like dumb bells, one can easily create the time for this later when they have already started seeing the impact that the simpler exercises are having on their golf game.

There is actually no bigger motivator than seeing a golf training exercise program dramatically improve your game.

It not only becomes easier to stick to the program and maintain your rapid improvement but it also becomes easier to look for the time in a busy schedule to delve in to the muscle strength building routines in the golf training exercise program.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Golf Stretching Secrets to Improve Performance

2009-01-22T01:50:00.001-08:00

The trend in larger and therefore heavier club heads in recent years has made golf stretching secrets even more important to acquire.

To make matters worse for golfers not interested in embracing golf stretching secrets, golf is a game unlike other sports where continuous playing improves fitness and endurance. This is because the golf swing lasts only a second.

It is instructive that many golfers are yet to appreciate this rather important fact. This is the reason who they have found it very difficult to see any improvement in their game.

Still it is common to see golfers practice hitting the ball for hours on the course. The writing should really be on the wall by now. And that is it is unlikely to improve any golfer's game if their body is not golf fit.

Muscles that are not fit will usually be flabby and stiff, making a good golf game virtually impossible because a golfer will tire easily and using the correct golf swing will be virtually impossible.

Learning golf stretching secrets should enable a golfer to do the right stretch exercises that will dramatically improve on their flexibility of the body and thus impact positively on their golf swing and all aspects of the game.

Golf stretching secrets include the fact that stretch exercises are critical in taking care of every golfer's most important and critical piece of equipment.

And that is the body. The right stretch exercises will help the body cope with the golf game which is a physically demanding sport. It requires strength, endurance and muscular control to hit a golf ball at high speed and in the right direction, consistently on a golf course.

Learning the secrets of golf stretching will also allow a golfer to do the right warm up exercises even before they go onto serious stretching routines.

All this preparation means that the body will be ready to perform at its' best and the results will clearly show the true value of golf stretching secrets.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Golf Swing Simulators

2009-01-21T18:00:00.001-08:00

Are you looking for a way to play golf during the sweltering days of some or the extreme cold days of winter? Try out one of the golf swing simulators that are on the marker nowadays. These simulators give a player a realistic and accurate simulation of a golf game or a driving range trip. The full swing golf simulator can help with golf instruction, club fitting, and can be an entertainment source. The simulator can measure the horizontal and vertical launch angles, speed, spin, and total distance that the ball traveled.

The photo realistic Championship golf courses give you the feel of being there, as well as being able to "play" courses that you may never play in real life. The contest modes can challenge you with different levels of play and difficulty, for that competitive edge. The simulator is almost like being there without having to deal with the weather and wind changes and people trying to play through.

Into the screen putting can assist you with learning better putting skills and the club and ball sensors can show you what you can do to change or improve your game. The wonderful thing about a full swing indoor simulator is that it is not weather dependent and you can play year-round and any time of the day or night. This is great for those players that do not seem to make it to the golf course frequently, but would like to play more, as they will be able to play at night after work.

Golf Stretching Secrets to Improve Performance

2009-01-21T13:10:00.001-08:00

The trend in larger and therefore heavier club heads in recent years has made golf stretching secrets even more important to acquire.

It is instructive that many golfers are yet to appreciate this rather important fact. This is the reason who they have found it very difficult to see any improvement in their game.

Golf stretching secrets include the fact that stretch exercises are critical in taking care of every golfer's most important and critical piece of equipment.

Learning the secrets of golf stretching will also allow a golfer to do the right warm up exercises even before they go onto serious stretching routines.

All this preparation means that the body will be ready to perform at its' best and the results will clearly show the true value of golf stretching secrets.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

What Should Be Your Golf Training Priority?

2009-01-21T05:10:00.001-08:00

This is a question that is often asked for the simple reason that knowing one's golf training priority will enable them to improve their game within the shortest possible time.

To answer it correctly a golfer needs to know what their particular area of weakness is. For example if they tend to slice the ball in their golf swing then their golf training priority should be exercises that address that particular weakness in their game.

Other times a golfer will have a nagging back problem which refuses to go away despite medication. Many times the back pain will be in the lower back and will usually be aggravated by playing golf.

The golf training priority of such a golfer is to get golf specific exercises that will give them endurance and strength. The exercise must also be targeted directly at the lower back.

There is in fact such an exercise which I have described in several of my other articles.

The result of this exercise is that the pain will disappear and the golfer will be able to hit the ball on the course and enjoy playing golf virtually the whole day without the discomfort and pain that previously occurred or was aggravated whenever they previously played a round of golf.

Many times your golf training priority exercises may involve the use of dumb bells. However this is not as strenuous as it may sound as the exercises are geared to wards building strength and not muscles and usually much lighter weights will be used.

To be able to fully understand what your golf training priority is, it is useful to consult with golf exercise experts who will usually recommend a program that will do miracles to your golf game. It is important that your golf-specific exercise program starts with the correct golf training priority for you and your game.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf training</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Finding A Good Golf Product Is A Lot Easier With The Net

2009-01-21T03:00:00.001-08:00

The World Wide Web has made life a lot easier for many people. Golfers are no exception and apart from valuable golfing tips being widely available on the net, the other huge advantage is that it has become a lot easier to find good golf products.

To find a good golf product one can subscribe to one of the many regular ezines, or email newsletters available online that deal with golf and golf products.

You can also identify useful web sites that you can be visiting a regular basis to read about the very latest releases in golf products.

Make sure that you also check out a few blogs or web logs on the golf game and golf products. Here the advantage is that you will be able to read comments from numerous other golfers some of whom are bound to be experiencing exactly the same problems that you are facing. This is the true magic of blogs and one of the reasons why they have become so popular online.

However there is a range of golf products that you will need to be very careful about. More so because they are marketed very aggressively online, usually accompanied with a lot of hype. And these are golf products that promise to improve your game.

It is a big mistake to place your focus on what a product will do without first focusing on your weaknesses in the game and getting a clear strategy or direction on how you can improve those areas of your game. It is then very easy to see if the golf improvement product fits into your program or not.

This way you will save yourself a lot of time, cash and trouble tinkering with golf products that will not be able to have any impact on your golf game.

Most of these golf improvement products involve exercises and so if you are able to get some advice from a golf exercise expert, it can also be of great help to you.

Will A Night Golf Tournament Ruin Your Course?

2009-01-20T10:20:00.001-08:00

The first thing you have to remember about your Night Golf event is that it is not a PGA Major event. It is simply a different way to play golf than you normally do. With that in mind, how you set up your course is up to YOU! Some ideas include:

? Move your tees ? use an area normally not used for your tee box. Move it to a patch of grass in front of the normal tee, to the left or right of the forward tees ? anywhere to minimize wear and tear on the tees. If you must use the tees for the Night Golf event, make sure there is divot mix for the players to use.

? Get the maintenance staff out early! ? The morning after your Night Golf event, send someone out with a divot mix bucket (make sure they are labeled if you use different types of grass on your tees than you do in your fairway). Have the staff cover each hole you played the previous night ? make sure that they have trash bags and ball mark repair tools for the greens.

? Limit the refreshments until after the Night Golf event ? Admittedly, this practice helps to increase laughs on the course during the event. However, it could be the catalyst which lets the guard down for care of the course. You might want to think about letting the players have 1 or 2 beverages prior to the start, and then the participants will want to hang around afterwards talking about their experience. In addition, make every attempt to not allow alcoholic beverages on the course the players.

? Take Hazards out of play ? Be sure to mark bridges, creeks, lakes and other potential hazards with light sticks or other methods (Candle bags, pumpkins, etc.). Light sticks come in plenty of colors so maybe you use red or blue to mark hazards. As in the aforementioned point, if there is a lake or creek in front of your normal tee box, simply move it to the other side for the Night Golf event.

? Limit your exposure ? You don't have to use every hole in your course or feel obligated to start at Hole #1. 4 or 5 of the easier holes that lack hazards and can bring the players back to the club house after the Night Golf event is fine. Another thought is keeping some of the staff available to join groups for the event if they are not familiar with your course.

In summary, just use some basic Common Sense when setting up your course for Night Golf. This will increase the fun factor and the participants inquiring the date for the next tournament.

Kevin Adelsberg is a writer for NightGolfProducts.com. For additional articles and an extensive resource for everything about night golf, please visit us at <a target="_new" href="http://www.nightgolfproducts.com">http://www.nightgolfproducts.com</a>

How A Golf Trainer Can Take Your Game To The Next Level

2009-01-18T19:33:00.001-08:00

Having a golf trainer in your corner to give you guidance, motivation and ongoing, cutting-edge golf fitness information will put you leaps and bounds above your playing partners and competitors.

I hear so many horror stories of a 'general' fitness trainer calling himself a golf trainer only to end up making the client (golfers' ) game even worse.

How discouraging would that be?

Now the bad news!

The average, 'qualified' golf fitness expert will charge anywhere from a low of $40 per session to a high of over $250. The more experienced the golf trainer, the more they will charge.

So what are you options if the above scenario is a little too out of your economic reality?

The next best thing is to get some golf fitness videos (dvds) that take you through the entire golf fitness session from start to finish?including stretches, warm ups, cool downs and advice.

There are not too many fitness and/or golf fitness videos (dvds) on the market that take you through an actual workout. Most of them show you the exercise and discuss the do's and don'ts.

Then to have the wherewithal to put that video (dvd) back in the player in 48 hours and do it again. And again. And again. This will give you the best, most quickest results.

What a big waste of time and frustration!

You want "plug-and-play!"

So there is hope to finally have a golf trainer in your home on a weekly basis. One that will motivate you and inspire you to continue and strive to be the best you can be.

Go out and get your very own golf trainer!

What Will A Good Golf Stretching Program Do For Your Golf?

2009-01-17T13:40:00.001-08:00

There are many things that a good golf stretching program will do for a persons' game.

Firstly a golf stretching program will tremendously improve the golf swing in terms of the power as well as helping the golfer to control the direction. These are two key aspects that will help to spectacularly reduce the score of any golfer.

A golf stretching program will also help a golfer significantly reduce on the risk of injury which can keep them away from the course for a long time. In a few unfortunate cases, injury has even rudely and permanently halted the game for some golfers. Yes, injury has often ended some golf careers that were showing great promise.

Usually golf stretching programs improve on the strength of the muscles as well as the endurance levels. The result is that a golfer is able to enjoy their round of golf much more than was the case prior to their entering the golf stretching exercise program.

This is the reason why golf stretching programs have considerably risen in popularity amongst various levels of golfers. Usually golf stretching programs are part and parcel of a golf exercise routine that will also include weight training.

The weight training is for strength but the golf stretching program greatly helps the golfer consolidate the gains in strength they get from using dumbbells.

The other factor that has favoured the golf stretching program is the fact that many effective stretch exercises can be done form the comfort of the office or the home.

One does not really need to go into the trouble of finding a gym or special exercise area. This has meant that even busy executives can participate in the golf stretching program more frequently and do them with the same frequency that other golfers with more time in their hands can.

They are therefore able to reap the full rewards of a golf stretching program.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Golf Swing Tips Will Not Work By Themselves

2009-01-17T12:40:00.001-08:00

Why?

Because it causes "paralysis-by-analysis!"

What I mean is you get on the course and you are thinking too much about your golf swing mechanics and not enough about getting the ball in the fairway, onto the green, and in the hole!

We also call this the "62-point checklist" .

I'm here to tell you that golf swing tips by themselves will NEVER work! I know?this is a very strong statement, but I feel very strong about this.

How many times have you received a tip from a golf instructor, golfing buddy or out of a magazine?only to try it and play worse?

Come on?be honest!

I can tell you right now that it's your BODY that won't allow you to apply this golf swing tip. Your brain knows what to do?and wants to do it, but your body CAN'T perform it!

Your heard it right here! Your BODY can't do it! This is the missing link to your best golf ever!

Work on the machine (you) and the golf swing tips or mechanics you so yearn to do will magically happen. I've seen it hundreds of times with the golfers I've worked with.

I have literally taken someone off the practice tee, given them a stretch and they step right up and nail the ball long and right in the middle of the range. They become instant believers!

There is no magical golf swing tip that's going to change your game!

This is a reality if?you work on your machine (body), 'off the course' to play better on the course.

Then... and only then will all those golf swing tips work!

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds and manual at his <a target="_New" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf swing tips</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

How Golf Training Can Transform Your Game

2009-01-16T08:40:00.001-08:00

Golf training has been brought to the masses thanks to Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, Larry Nelson and now by the Number One player in the world?Vijay Singh. Vijay is a golf training machine. His personal trainer travels with him on tour and works him out all the way through the week. Vijay has his golf training routine down to a science and doesn't deviate even a fraction.

When Annika implemented a golf training program she shot a 59 that year and dominated the LPGA. No one was even close. She was the one to beat every week. She even went as far as saying she needed to challenge herself, so she played in a men's PGA event. And almost made the cut!

Now club pro's, tournament golfers, seniors and even juniors are catching on. They are now realizing that it's the BODY that's keeping them from a great game. Work on your body with some easy-to-use, golf specific stretches and strength exercises and your swing will come to "life".

Doesn't it make sense?

Making a powerful backswing, with tons of stored energy ready to blast your ball WAY down the fairway!

I've seen golfers of all ages dramatically transform their game. And it didn't' take years to accomplish, or hitting thousands of golf balls. If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you get.

Have you heard that phrase before?

It's very true and so easy to stay in this rut. But if you're tired of the frustration and want to finally capitalize on your potential, then a golf training program is your answer.

If the pro's are doing it and seeing great results, that should reassure you that it's the right approach. In your mind, you should see a golf athlete. And like all other athletes, they train for their sport. Why wouldn't you.

Your golf training program should incorporate strength, flexibility and even endurance training. Doing a flexibility program without incorporating a strength program won't get you the results you're looking for. A combination of the two is best.

It's time to put metal to the floor and make it happen!

Using A Golf Swing Trainer May Surprise You

2009-01-16T07:10:00.001-08:00

Many amateur golfers start out playing golf for fun. Most would like to keep it that way and that is precisely the reason why the mention of a golf swing trainer, however much that would help them improve their game will not only draw loud groans but for most they will already start feeling tired at the mere thought.

That is absolutely normal. Who wants the rigors of a golf swing trainer, and the sweat and hard physicals that one imagines, must surely go with it? To be perfectly honest, nobody that I know.

Yet a golf swing trainer need not fit the image of what is on most amateur golfer's minds. More so when they hear that professionals are dramatically improving their games with the help of golf swing trainers.

The truth is that the golf swing training is not only light and very specific for the improvement of the golf swing, but for many who start, it ends up being interesting. Actually the golf swing trainer gets even more interesting when your game improves in great huge leaps and bounds.

For example the use of a simple 'medicine ball', taking turns back and through holding a 4 to 6 pound ball can make an extremely big difference to a golf swing. And the golf swing trainer need not overload you and overstrain you with this simple exercise.

Most of the medicine ball work actually involves abdominal work, which should be rotational rather than straight strenuous crunches, which will never improve your driving distance. The trick is to do rotational movements with added weight. Not heavy weight though. So don't put off the thought of using a golf swing trainer.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf conditioning experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several online golf fitness sites. Check out his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness products</a>.

More Muscles Than You Think Are Used In the Golf Swing

2009-01-15T21:50:00.001-08:00

While most golfers are aware of the fact that the muscles in the lower part of the body are used in the golf swing, many are not aware of just how important these muscles are to the consistent execution of the perfect golf swing. Many do not even realize how imperative it is that muscles used in the golf swing are exercised and kept in tip top condition. Actually, if this is not done, it becomes extremely difficult to for anybody to enjoy the game as too many factors stand in the way of a golfer who does not exercise.

For example a common complaint amongst many golfers on the course is that of pain in the lower back which is usually aggravated by golf. This pain is especially evident after longer sessions on the course.

How can any golfer improve golf swing, let alone have any hope of enjoying the game with such a nagging, persistent pain? Yet this problem is easily solved by simply strengthening lower back muscles used by doing certain exercises.

The result is that there is a higher level of endurance which will also have a tremendous impact on the golf swing of any golfer.

There is actually a very simple exercise to achieve this which can be done from the comfort of your home and without having to go into a gym or special exercise area.

Muscles used in the golf swing include some in the lower leg as well as those higher up like the hamstring which is crucial in accomplishing the perfect golf swing.

It is a proven fact that muscles used in the golf swing that are not exercised and conditioned on a regular basis with the correct exercise, will usually not respond to the correct golfing techniques.

Without being conditioned to obtain the necessary stamina and staying power it is unlikely that muscles used in the golf swing will be able to deliver the required performance

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

All Time Greatest Club Breaking Events in History? and the Winner is?..

2009-01-15T16:50:00.001-08:00

Two both famous and infamous golfers known for their tempers and club throwing exploits on the golf course, were battling head to head and coming into the final round of the tournament. The entire golfing world was looking on. As the two greats made one bad shot after another, they all too often followed them up by throwing their clubs. Some of these clubs ended up in the lake or against a tree. As they were preparing for the final round, one of them was asked whom he thought was going to "lose". "That's easy," he said, "the guy that runs out of clubs first."

Everyone that plays this game has been tempted to make their own entry into the club toss championship, and all too many of us have given in to that temptation. But I can't believe how many clubs I have broken by pure accident (yeah right)!

The first really expensive golf club I ever bought was a custom made driver by one of the great master club makers in Carmel, California, home of Pebble Beach. I spent a couple of days of my vacation being fitted and for three weeks waited anxiously for my new club to arrive in the mail. Man was it great! I was just pounding the ball to deepest depths of the driving range and just couldn't wait for Saturday to get here so I could unleash this beauty in real action.

Finally, the day had arrived. I was loading my gear and changing my shoes, and one of my buddies came by and asked about the new club I was bragging about. I pulled it from my bag and handed it to him to check out. I walked around my car to make the final check to see that all the doors were locked. I shouldered my bag and slammed the trunk of my car. At the time it sounded a little weird, but I was anxious to get started so I didn't bother to look.

When our names were called to the first tee, I was ready! I reached for my hot new driver; just knowing it was going to be a great day? it wasn't there. My knees quivered, I had to choke back a blood-curdling scream and nearly fell to the ground in a fit of rage as I remembered that funny sound I heard when I slammed my trunk just a few minutes ago.

Then there was the time I had a shot that had to get up fast and carry a bit farther then I usually hit my 60-degree. I was under a tree but had no overhanging limbs. I could have a Tiger-like go at it. Big mistake. I wound up like I was John Daly, figuring I needed that extra long swing that only Big John can deliver, and swung with all my might. Tree root! Damn! I jarred every bone in my body. It was three holes later when I finally got my eyes back in the right sockets and discovered I had bent my steel shafted wedge. Not to worry, just a little pressure over the knee here and we can? Snap! Okay, so now I have a really short-shafted wedge for really tight back swings.

But I just may hold the dubious honor of the all time greatest moment in club breaking history. I was playing head to head with my regular foursome, and we had come to the last hole and the big money was on the line. A great drive had put me in unfamiliar territory, about 20 yards closer to the 18th green than I had ever been. An even better 6-iron put me about five feet from the hole on this difficult 4 par, which I had only rarely parred and never birdied in my life. Man this was great! I was about to birdie a hole that for years had been giving me fits, and I was going to win all the money with one shot. It just doesn't get any better then this.

The other three had all finished up, and it was down to my very makeable, very easy, only slightly up-hill, straight in putt? nearly a kick-in. I milked it for all it was worth. I plumbed it, stalked it, walked around it again, repaired imaginary ball marks and rubbed it in as best as I could. Finally I approached the ball? dead in straight? not a problem. Perfect backswing? beautiful putting stroke? nice follow through. It was great? moving right on line! The money was mine! Fist pump in motion? No! Wait! What the h?!!!??? All of a sudden my ball is flying like a nine-iron shot and shoots twenty feet past the hole!! And there next to hole was the head of my putter, right where it had landed after falling off the shaft and hitting the back of my ball. Two putts later I'm finally in the cup, in the dumps and out of the money. To this day my playing partners are insisting that I should have also been assessed a two stroke penalty for striking the ball twice. I'll let you look that rule up.

If you have a Great Golf Story you would like to share, email it to <a href="mailto:floyd@sbmag.org">floyd@sbmag.org</a>

More interesting golf stories at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.sbmag.org/Golf_Stories/Great_Golf_Stories_Index">http://www.sbmag.org/Golf_Stories/Great_Golf_Stories_Index</a>.

No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About The Author tag is left in tact and hot links are included. EMAIL: <a href="mailto:floyd@sbmag.org">floyd@sbmag.org</a>.

Floyd Snyder is an avid, high handicap golfer and the owner of Strictly Business Magazine at <a target="_new" href="http://www.sbmag.org">http://www.sbmag.org</a> and <a target="_new" href="http://www.TraderAide.com">http://www.TraderAide.com</a>

Guide to Playing Golf for Free and Getting Huge Discounts on Golf Balls, Golf Gloves, and Golf Stuff

2009-01-15T13:40:00.001-08:00

If you love to play golf as much as most golf enthusiasts, you would probably play more if the great game of golf and most golf equipment wasn't so grossly expensive. An 18-hole round of golf at even a moderately expensive golf course averages about $36.00. A decent box of 12 golf balls costs roughly $19.00, and golf clubs are hundreds. Although it's impossible to get it all for free, there are ways to get free rounds of golf and huge discounts on golf equipment. Here are some guidelines to help you play more rounds of golf for free, get some free golf equipment and get huge discounts on other golf stuff:

Free or reduced rounds of golf:

Play golf writer for a day. Since anyone can contribute articles on the Internet, call the golf resort or club where you'd like to play and ask for the club pro. Tell him that you write reviews of golf courses for an Internet site (you can create the site yourself, or put them her for ezines). Tell the golf pro that you would like to play his course, write an article on it, and you were hoping he could set you up with a complimentary time. Perhaps he could even play along with you. Once you've done this, you'll most likely be able to play there time and time again for free or for a reduced rate.

Get a free club, even a $400 driver:

This is no great secret, but few people know about it. Best of all, it's very easy to do. Go to a search engine like Google. Type in review or test golf clubs. Many golf equipment review pages will come up. Research a few of them and learn what it takes to be one of their consultants. Many just require a complete written review of the golf club in a particular amount of time, and you get to keep the club. Some people do this and never purchase a golf club or a golf ball.

Get free or discounted golf balls, golf gloves and other golf stuff.

This is another one that has been around for awhile, but not every golfer knows about. Many major retailers have golf membership clubs with small yearly fees that offer amazing freebies and discounts on golf balls, golf gloves and other golf equipment. Sometimes, the membership comes with a free sleeve of very nice golf balls. So, the membership might cost you $15.00, and you'll get a sleeve of balls worth $9.00. Most future purchases include a 10 to 25 percent discount, and usually once each month, you'll receive correspondence about a special, buy-one-get-one-free deal on balls or gloves.

Get a beautiful free golf hat and golf bag tag today.

Another great place to go for discounts and freebies is the USGA. Their one-year membership fee is $15.00. With it comes a free golf hat, with the name of one of golf's majors stenciled on it and a name tag for your bag that says USGA. Throughout the year, your membership will afford you many discounts on golf rounds and equipment, along with neat golf publications from the USGA. No true golf enthusiast should be without this membership.

These are just a few of the numerous ways golfers can save literally thousands of dollars each year on golf and golf equipment. Give them a try today.

Mark Barnes is novelist and how-to writer. His novel, The League, is a suspense/thriller based a conspiracy to eliminate professional athletes, so someone can win $30 million in a fantasy football league. His next novel, Troon, is about a club pro accused of stealing $10 million from a powerful private organization, running a secret golf tournament at Royal Troon in Scotland. Learn more about Mark's novels at <a target="_new" href="http://www.sportsnovels.com">http://www.sportsnovels.com.</a> Get his free home loan course at <a target="_new" href="http://www.winningthemortgagegame.com">http://www.winningthemortgagegame.com.</a>

Golf Stretching Exercises Have A Direct Impact On Your Drives

2009-01-15T07:50:00.001-08:00

Golf stretching exercises have been known to have such a huge impact on the golf swing that their popularity amongst golfers has spread like wild fire in recent years.

Yet in some cases the golf stretching routines have not been gotten from a real golf-specific exercise expert. While it is true that any stretching exercise and strength exercise will usually result in dramatic changes in a persons' golf game, getting the real thing from golf experts will usually have an even more excellent result.

What's more getting a wide range of golf stretching routines from a real expert will mean that you will also have access to several exercises that can be done in the comfort of your office when you have a moment to spare.

Or even in the home. This is a huge advantage for many golfers from the corporate world who are usually pressed for time and finding enough time to exercise quite often becomes a major challenge that borders on the impossibility.

Being able to do a number of golf stretching routines at their work stations in the office when they have a moment to spare becomes an extremely useful advantage for such persons.

Golf stretching impacts directly on the quality of the golf drive because of various reasons. To start with golf stretches help to condition muscles in such a way that the golfer finds it easy to stretch those particular muscles to the limit when driving.

Golf stretching also helps increase strength which is useful in achieving longer distances in the golf drive.

Golf stretching is an important part of any serious golfer's routine.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf training</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

What A Golf Conditioning Tip Must Have

2009-01-14T19:00:00.001-08:00

There are certain aspects that any good golf conditioning tip must have. And with the increasingly high number of golf tips flying through the net and many other places, it is extremely useful to know what to look for in a genuine golf conditioning tip.

To start with you must realize that golf conditioning tips are specifically useful to playing the golf game and will therefore concentrate on the so called golf muscles in the body.

They are actually more numerous than most newcomers would think at first glance. Right from the feet to the neck and head, the golf swing utilizes muscles in virtually every part of the body. The idea is to condition the muscles so that your body helps you play better golf.

So whatever exercises the golf conditioning tip is focusing on, be it stretching or strength-building, they must be focused on improving the golf swing and the golf game of an individual in general.

Use of dumb bells in the golf conditioning tip should be concentrated on building strength rather than big muscles.

To get big muscles heavier weights are used for longer periods and more involving sessions. This is what keeps some amateur golfers away from golf exercises as the mention of dumb bells immediately sets their minds to think about this kind of weight training.

However the truth is that dumb bells can also be used to build strength in muscles and in fact they are extremely effective in doing just this.

So the golf conditioning tip here will usually involve using much lighter weights and lifting them up and down many more times than does a weight lifter using much heavier weights. The strength sessions are however supposed to be very short and brief.

Keeping this few points in mind will help you to always identify the better golf conditioning tips.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

How Better Course Management Can Lower Your Golf Score

2009-01-14T13:50:00.001-08:00

Whether you are just starting to learn golf, or you have been golfing for many years and you're just looking to refine your game, this will provide a good direction of focus for this season.

If you want your score to drop by any significant amount, you should learn to hit your 150 yard club, and learn to hit it very well.

By "hitting your 150 yard club very well", I mean being able to step up to the ball, and KNOW that you can hit any green that is 150 yards away. Every time, any condition, with no pressure.

You need to get to the point in your game where you can hit those 8 or 9 irons very consistently and accurately. Anyone can do this. Believe it or not, 150 yards is not very far away, and most greens these days are very big targets. The short irons should be the easiest club in your bag to hit. And if they aren't the easiest clubs to hit, you should work on them until they are.

Once you master that shot, everything else is a simple adjustment. Your swing will be on, and you can simply add or take away a little club to adjust for varying distances.

That's step 1.

Step 2 is designing your game to work around your "guaranteed 150 yard shot".

Let's say you are on the average 400 yard par 4. If you have that 150 yard shot in your bag, then it should be very easy for you to get onto the green in 3 shots.

Think about this...(I know you wouldn't really do this) but if you have the 150 yard shot, you can hit it off the tee, and again for your second shot, and end up 100 yards out hitting 3 from the fairway.

Now you've put yourself in a good position, which is what course management is all about. And better yet, if you have the 150 yard shot down, your 100 yard shots are likely to be working a lot better as well.

Even if you get yourself into trouble off the tee, just lay up to 150 yards out, and use your 150 shot to get on the green. This will do a ton of good for your golf game. You're on in 3, and you can still save par or make bogey with a 2 put.

Start small, and master the 150 yard shot. Then build your game around it. If you do this, you won't have to worry about so many bunker shots, chip shots, and all the other specialty shots that make this game so frustrating.

If you can get this shot down, you've taken the first step to breaking down your game and lowering your scores. Then you work on your putting, and then you work on your driver.

Now, I realize golf isn't as easy as I've made it out to be above, but it really can be if you have the 150 yard shot. I can guarantee that you'll be playing the best golf of your life this season, if you keep focus on improving that 150 yard shot. It is essential!

That's it for this newsletter. I'll be in touch in the next few weeks with some putting tips that should really have you stroking the ball.

If you would like to refine your swing this season "The Simple Golf Swing" is a great place to start. You can get it below. I guarantee that it will cut 7 strokes from your average score almost immediately.

David Nevogt writes golf instruction material that helps golfers of all levels reach their full potential and lower their scores. David is the author of "The Simple Golf Swing" which guarantees to have you shooting 7 strokes lower in only 1 week from today. You can find more of his golf instruction by going to <a target="_new" href="http://www.golfswingguru.com">http://www.golfswingguru.com</a>

Three Tips To Help You Benefit From Golf Video Instruction

2009-01-14T00:20:00.001-08:00

Golf video instruction can be a powerful tool in helping any golfer improve their handicap. Yet many golfers do not fully benefit from them.

The reason is that their approach is wrong and they are therefore unable to benefit from the practical advice and tips received through golf video instruction.

Here I carry three tips to help you benefit and reap the full rewards from golf video instruction tapes.

B) Apply only one golf video instruction tip at a time to your game.

C) Combine you application of the golf video instruction with a golf-specific exercise program.

Ensuring that you are golf fit is a very important requirement for reaping maximum benefits from golf video instruction tapes.

Preparing Your Body For Golf While You Travel

2009-01-13T22:30:00.001-08:00

We all know the temptations of traveling? grabbing a slice of pizza while running to your gate at the airport, an elaborate steak dinner with a client, and being so tired at day's end that all you want to do is fall into bed. Traveling can often create havoc on regular exercise and golf conditioning. Fitness and good nutrition while on the road can help keep you on top of your game. With a bit of planning and creative strategy you can help keep your body ready to hit the golf course.

First thoughts about travel, exercise and maintaining good nutrition can be negative for many. Some will think, I don't have the equipment I usually have, my meals will all be eating out or fast food. Instead of giving up on preparing your body for golf, consider ways to maintain a good portion of your normal fitness and health routine. You'll be surprised at just how much you can accomplish. Here's a few tips to help:

? As you plan your trip be sure to define your fitness goals while you travel. Keep them specific, measurable, realistic and timely. Consider the constraints you'll have by your travel schedule and logistics.

? When booking your flights and hotel call ahead or check the internet to find details about exercise facilities. If no facility is available, plan alternate activities like an in-room workout.

? As you pack be sure to include workout gear as space allows.

? If your travel involves time-based appointment, schedule appointment with yourself for your workout. Treat this appointment just as you would any other meeting.

You'll be surprised at just how much you can accomplish even in your hotel room. Stretches, and some exercises are easily performed as no equipment is necessary. With fitness awareness soaring, many hotels have first-rate fitness centers with a full variety of equipment and their own fitness staff. For most travelers, the best way to fit exercise into their day is by simply setting the alarm a bit earlier to accommodate time for conditioning. This helps to leave the remainder of the day free for your other scheduled activities.

While exercising regularly is important for your health and golf game, so is how you eat. It is so easy to get off course when you are not at home. Try to pack snacks for the trip and an extra water bottle. Travel can place stress on the body and zap you of your energy. Snack and meal replacement bars are handy for travelers with hectic schedules. While bars are no substitute for real food (i.e., fresh vegetables, fruit, and protein), they're a certainly a step in the right direction from burgers and fries. As you choose your bars read the label to check calorie, fat, carbohydrate and protein content. All bars are not equal.

With a little planning and determination, continued conditioning during your travel can keep your body ready for the golf course.

Golf Swing Tips Will Not Work By Themselves

2009-01-13T22:00:00.001-08:00

Why?

Because it causes "paralysis-by-analysis!"

What I mean is you get on the course and you are thinking too much about your golf swing mechanics and not enough about getting the ball in the fairway, onto the green, and in the hole!

We also call this the "62-point checklist" .

I'm here to tell you that golf swing tips by themselves will NEVER work! I know?this is a very strong statement, but I feel very strong about this.

How many times have you received a tip from a golf instructor, golfing buddy or out of a magazine?only to try it and play worse?

Come on?be honest!

I can tell you right now that it's your BODY that won't allow you to apply this golf swing tip. Your brain knows what to do?and wants to do it, but your body CAN'T perform it!

Your heard it right here! Your BODY can't do it! This is the missing link to your best golf ever!

Work on the machine (you) and the golf swing tips or mechanics you so yearn to do will magically happen. I've seen it hundreds of times with the golfers I've worked with.

I have literally taken someone off the practice tee, given them a stretch and they step right up and nail the ball long and right in the middle of the range. They become instant believers!

There is no magical golf swing tip that's going to change your game!

This is a reality if?you work on your machine (body), 'off the course' to play better on the course.

Then... and only then will all those golf swing tips work!

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds and manual at his <a target="_New" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf swing tips</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Can A Golfer Do Without Golf Fitness And Exercise

2009-01-13T13:00:00.001-08:00

Just how important is golf fitness and exercise to a golfer today in the modern game? Can a good amateur or even professional golfer do without it and still maximize their potential?

Will they still be able to enjoy their game and see constant improvements or at least consistency in their quality of play?

Those golfers who ask these sorts of questions about golf fitness and exercise sometimes nostalgically cast their minds back to the so called good old days of the golf game when the game was strictly a leisure sport where one hardly needed to break into a sweat to thoroughly enjoy themselves on the course.

The modern golf game has changed dramatically and permanently. Although golf is still very much the leisure sport that has given pleasure to thousands over the years even with the golf fitness and exercise programs. If anything these golf fitness and exercise programs have given many more people a chance to master the game much faster and really get to enjoy it.

Assuming that a golfer would want to skip golf fitness and exercise they would find themselves faced with one major problem. Increasingly they would find themselves frustrated and would be faced with a situation where it would seem that the standard of their game is dropping.

Actually what would be happening is that the pressure of playing against golfers involved in golf fitness and exercise programs would be taking its' toll.

There are few things that are as infuriating and frustrating as seeing your opponent effortlessly run rings around you on the course just because they have taken golf fitness and exercise seriously and you have not.

In all likelihood the golfer who is determined to do without golf fitness and exercises, just like in the old days, would increasingly find themselves in a position where they enjoy their game less and less.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Have You Played Chicago Golf Courses?

2009-01-13T10:20:00.001-08:00

When most people think of Chicago, they usually think of a big city, lots of tall buildings, maybe Oprah. That's accurate, but did you know that Chicago is the home to dozens of golf courses?

Chicago was designed as "Urbs in Horto", the City in the park. There are plenty of golf courses in Chicago for all skill levels, from beginners to championship level golfers. Here are several courses to consider:

Chicago Park District Golf Courses

The Chicago Park District has 6 golf courses, 3 driving ranges and 2 miniature golf courses. Jackson Park Golf Course was the city's first public golf course. This 18-hole course has mature trees lining the fairways. The Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course, formerly Waveland, is a 9-hole course right on Chicago's lakefront in Lincoln Park. The Chicago Park District's newest course is Robert A. Black, a 9-hole course. This challenging 2,339 yard, par 33 layout was designed by the renowned Dick Nugent. For more information, go to http://www.cpdgolf.com/

Cook County Forest Preserve Golf Courses

There are 11 Cook County Forest Preserve golf courses. One of their courses, George W. Dunne National, is the Forest Preserve's premier 18-hole course, 6690 yards par 72 with a renovated practice facility. It has tree-lined fairways and eight lakes, which come into play on most of the course's holes. For more information, go to http://www.forestpreservegolf.com/

The Green at Grant Park

Want to practice your short game? You can, right downtown on Monroe Street near Lake Michigan. The Green at Grant Park is an 18-hole putting course, featuring true-to-golf greens surrounded by lush gardens. For more information, go to http://www.thegreenonline.com/

Harborside International Golf Center

Are you a serious golfer? Play at Harborside International Golf Center, Chicago's upscale championship golf facility. It has two 18-hole courses, the Port and the Starboard courses, designed by Dick Nugent on the site of a landfill. This award-winning course has often been compared to traditional treeless Scottish golf courses. They also have a prairie style clubhouse was designed in the Frank Lloyd Wright tradition. It's located near Lake Calumet on the far south side of Chicago. For more information, go to http://www.harborsidegolf.com/

Cog Hill Golf and Country Club

Ready for another serious golfer's challenge, but with tree-lined fairways? Cog Hill was founded by golfer Joe Jemsek in 1927. This family owned facility has four 18-hole regulation golf courses and a state-of-the-art driving range. Course #4 is the nationally ranked Dubsdread course where the Western Open has been played since 1991. Cog Hill is located about 30 miles southwest of Chicago. For more information visit http://www.coghillgolf.com/

Raynay Valles, creator of Chicago Golf Courses Resource Center, which celebrates Chicagoland golf by listing courses, reviews, resources and more. To visit it now go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.golfcoursechicago.com">http://www.golfcoursechicago.com</a>

Exercises to Prevent Common Golf Injuries

2009-01-13T08:50:00.001-08:00

To those who don't play, golf seems like a low impact sport. But golf provides a real physical workout and arm and lower back pain and injuries are common among golfers. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends some preventive exercises so golfers can protect themselves against injury.

To avoid golfer's elbow, suggests these simple exercises to help build up your forearm muscles.

Squeeze a tennis ball

Squeezing a tennis ball for five minutes at a time is a simple, effective exercise that will strengthen your forearm muscles.

Wrist curls

Use a lightweight dumbbell. Lower the weight to the end of your fingers, then curl the weight back into your palm, followed by curling up your wrist to lift the weight an inch or two higher. Perform 10 repetitions with one arm, then repeat with the other arm.

Reverse wrist curls

Use a lightweight dumbbell. Place your hands in front of you, palm side down. Using your wrist, lift the weight up and down. Hold the arm that you are exercising above your elbow with your other hand in order to limit the motion to your forearm. Perform 10 repetitions with one arm, then repeat with the other arm.

These simple exercises can help strengthen lower back muscles and prevent injuries.

Rowing

Firmly tie the ends of rubber tubing. Place it around an object that is shoulder height (like a door hinge). Standing with your arms straight out in front of you, grasp the tubing and slowly pull it toward your chest. Release slowly. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions, at least three times a week.

Pull-downs

With the rubber tubing still around the door hinge, kneel and hold the tubing over your head. Pull down slowly toward your chest, bending your elbows as you lower your arms. Raise the tubing slowly over your head. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions, at least three times a week.

Conray Knox is the owner and webmaster of <a target="_new" href="http://www.buy-golf-clubs-online.com">Buy Golf Clubs Online.</a> Discover the best places online to purchase new golf clubs

The Golf Training Exercises You Need To Improve Your Game Are Very Simple

2009-01-12T16:20:00.001-08:00

Golf training and conditioning exercises are not as difficult as most people think they are.

It is important to understand that these exercises are very different from many of the rigorous exercises that you will often see athletes using to condition their bodies and stay in shape.

For example golf training exercises using weights are not designed to built bulky muscles. Usually much lighter weights will be used and will be lifted more times as opposed to normal muscle-building training which will involve much heavier weights being lifted fewer times. The muscle-building exercises will also call for longer hours of exercises daily. Golf training exercises will usually take very little time.

What is more is that many golf training stretch exercises can easily be carried out in your office, while still seated at your desk or work station. This means that even if you have the sort of schedule that leaves you with practically no time to spare, you can still find the time to put in some serious golf training exercises that will take your game of golf to another level that you have never known before.

There is plenty more evidence that golf training exercises are not as rigorous and difficult as some would want to believe. For example in my golf training exercise programs I have worked with very young and very old golfers with the same success. Youngsters will have difficulties taking in extremely rigorous exercises and so will senior citizens.

Golf training exercises are not designed to help prepare you for a record-breaking 100 meter dash down the track. Or for an Olympic gold medal in weight-lifting or gymnastics. The training schedule for these accomplishments naturally require lots of will power and discipline to even start.

Instead golf training exercises are usually very specific and are designed to impact particular aspects of your golf game.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Check out his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness ? golf training</a> site at Perform Better Golf.

Improve Golf Swing The Non-Traditional Way

2009-01-12T15:20:00.001-08:00

Improve golf swing seems like a thought that is on our minds as golfers dozens of times per day. Do you agree? But what are you currently doing to improve your golf swing?

Let me take a guess. Spending money on lessons, that may-or-may-not be working? How about the latest-greatest driver? Did it lower your score? Golf balls? They say the Titleist ProV1 makes a ton of difference. Has it for you?

I could go on-and-on but I won't. I think you get the idea.

So I've mentioned some very common, 'traditional ways' to try to improve your golf swing . But I haven't mentioned the MOST important one.

Do you want to take a guess?

Have you read any of my other 200 hundred or so articles floating around the web and in newspapers? If you haven't then you may not know what I'm going to say.

But if you have?you know exactly what I'm going to say!

Look in the mirror?that's your answer!

No this isn't a joke. No I'm not trying to yank your chain. I'm trying to get you to realize what is holding you back. It's not taking lessons. It's not buying more equipment or $40 golf balls.

It's getting right at the heart of the matter! Your 'physical limitations' are keeping you from making a mechanically sound and repeatable golf swing.

Think just for a minute!

If your body can't make a 90 degree shoulder turn?it's a fact you will lose a TON of yardage off the tee and with your irons.

If you can't maintain your golf posture throughout your entire golf swing?you have no chance to swing consistently for 18 holes.

If your core is weak?you will not be able to generate any power going into impact, therefore you will see a weak shot that most likely goes 'offline' quickly.

Can you see the picture more clearly now?

So what do you do?

You go see a local golf fitness professional who will take you through a golf fitness evaluation to determine your weaknesses and limitations and draw up a plan to improve them.

If you don't have someone in your area?or the cost is a bit too steep; do a search online for golf fitness, golf training or even golf exercises and see what you come up with.

FYI ? make sure to pick the first few 'non-colored' results on the search pages. These are the 'real' results?not paid advertisements. You want to find a product or program that covers every facet of golf improvement?that you can afford.

This is the next best thing to having your own golf fitness trainer.

Once you embark on a golf training routine?you won't have to be thinking improve golf swing anymore!

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf swing tips</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Basics Of Golf Swing Instruction - Go With Exercises

2009-01-11T18:20:00.000-08:00

Golf swing instruction starts with an understanding of the different segments of the golf swing. Understanding the golf swing segments will give anybody a firm foundation to learn all the tricks of the trade from others and thus be able to understand any golf swing instruction aimed at helping them improve their game.

There are actually three segments to the golf swing. The segments are the backswing, the downswing and finally the impact and follow through.

Dividing the swing into these 3 segments helps to apply every individual golf swing instruction or tip to the particular segments where they apply.

It also helps the golfer focus on one segment at a time in their golf swing instruction making it easier for them to remember what they learn and also to be able to work on improving their game systematically.

There is another bigger advantage to this approach. And that is the ability to be able to draw ones attention to the many different parts of the body and the many muscles involved in a proper golf swing.

This is important in helping a golfer involved in a golf exercise program to be able to appreciate the different exercises they do in the program and what particular muscles the exercises focus on.

All this makes it a lot easier for any golfer to link their exercises to golf swing instructions they receive as they seek to improve on their game.

Actually it is not possible to divorce the basics of golf swing instruction from golf specific exercises. The two go together and chances of improving your game improve dramatically when you combine the two.

On the other hand progress is bound to be much slower when you work on golf swing instruction only.

How To Improve Your Golf Swing

2009-01-11T05:10:00.001-08:00

So you need a little help with your golf swing. This article will give you some tips that may help with golf swing improvement. Golf swing improvement is an important consideration when you are serous about the game.

Golf swing improvement tip #1: You need to have self confidence. Without self-confidence the likelihood of golf swing improvement is not very good.

Golf swing improvement tip #2: Don't worry about what others think or say about your golf swing. Think about how you feel about your swing and then work to improve it.

Golf swing improvement tip #3: Develop a positive attitude about your golf swing.

Golf swing improvement tip #4: You may not feel relaxed but you can learn to play whether you are relaxed or not.

Golf swing improvement tip #5: If you have problems with your left knee buckling when you swing, try imagining that you are holding a basketball between your knees.

Golf swing improvement tip #6: Don't swing too quickly. Figure out a rhythm and stick with it.

Golf swing improvement tip #7: Remember to use the muscles in your legs and trunk. Using your wrists only will not produce the swing you need.

Golf swing improvement tip #8: If it is breezy it is not going to do you any good to hit the ball harder. Try hitting the ball lower.

Golf swing improvement tip #9: Work on a golf swing that has good balance and a very smooth tempo.

Golf swing improvement can occur with a little mental and physical work.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Golf-Swing-Improvement.com. He provides more golf putting, golf swinging and <a target="_new" href="http://www.golf-swing-improvement.com">golf game improvement tips</a> that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Master Flexibility Training And You?ll Conquer The Playing Field In Golf

2009-01-11T02:40:00.001-08:00

Is it difficult to rotate your body through the full range of motion in your golf swing? Do you stop short on your back swing? Lack of flexibility can adversely affect not only your golf game, but your health as well. Different muscles are called upon at different points in the golf swing. If you are not flexible you are more prone to injuries. Your body will try to overcompensate by engaging other joints and muscles that are not ready for the stress and strain of the movement.

Many golfers lack flexibility in the rotation of their spine and hips during their golf swing. They may overcompensate with their arms. Trying to hit the ball hard with your arms can leave them feeling sore and worse, injured from overuse of the shoulders. Therefore, flexibility should be one of the main components of your golf fitness training plan.

What flexibility exercises should you add to your fitness program? Before you start a flexibility program it is imperative to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses with regards to your current range of motion. Most athletic trainers, sports conditioning specialists, golf fitness trainers and physical therapists can take you through a battery of flexibility tests. They are trained to properly identify areas of restriction and potential for improvement.

The next step is to creating your own stretching program that is geared towards your personal situation. It may mean that you spend more time stretching your right rotator cuff muscles as opposed to your left or spending more total time on your addressing the flexibility in your spine. Depending on your level of restrictions, different stretching methods can be used to help you progress to the next level.

With a flexibility training program in place you'll conquer the playing field as your mechanics improve and you feel better about your movement. Take the time to learn about your current body restrictions and you'll easily take your game to a whole new level.

Susan Hill is a nationally recognized golf fitness trainer, CHEK golf biomechanic and sports nutrition specialist. For more information on golf specific nutrition, exercises or stretches, visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.fitnessforgolf.com">http://www.fitnessforgolf.com</a>

Gaining the Correct Golf Swing Plane

2009-01-10T01:20:00.001-08:00

Why Tiger Woods Golf Swing Technique Is So Effective

2009-01-09T16:30:00.001-08:00

Golf sensation Tiger Woods' golf swing technique has been the subject of many interesting studies.

One thing that has come out very clearly from this leading golfer's style and his golf swing technique is his amazing flexibility and high fitness level which have contribute tremendously to his golf career. A career that has seen him crowned in the minds of many as the undisputed greatest golfer in the history of the sport.

The Tiger Woods golf swing technique sees Wood utilizing his flexibility at the back of his swing to comfortably reach far back.

As he begins his swing, his level of fitness and muscle strength enables him to build up club head velocity by turning his torso quickly and pressing his right leg forward. There is minimal waste of energy as he maintains his position above the golf ball.

Driving through, Woods uses his hips, shoulders and wrists to concentrate his force and create a high initial ball speed. Research has shown that within a few feet off the tee, the ball is usually traveling at about 180 miles per hour. The average tour pro usually manages only 160 miles per hour.

If you have carefully watched woods and his golf swing technique, you will note that he usually allows the club head's momentum to extend his follow-through far around his back, thus completing a long and smooth club-head rotation.

Tiger's golf swing technique cannot possibly be achieved by somebody who is not physically fit or somebody who does not work out regularly. In fact achieving an effective golf swing technique these days requires conditioned muscles that will enable you to perform consistently and at your best.

Gone are the days when golf was viewed as a leisure sport where players would move around the course in electric golf cars to avoid breaking into a sweat of any kind.

This is not to say that a good golf swing technique calls for rigorous exercising. Actually, most of the critical golf-specific exercises involve stretches. There is also the lifting of light weights to build specifically on strength rather than muscle.

Clearly golf-specific exercises are the only way to develop a good golf swing technique.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Visit his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site at Perform Better Golf.

Improving Your Golf Game, the Optimal Recipe

2009-01-07T17:00:00.001-08:00

There are hundreds, probably thousands, of articles about how to improve your golf. Just pick up any weekly or monthly issue of any golf magazine. You will read page after page on how to get better at your driving distance, how to improve your putting, how to improve your short game. The list goes on and on and on. (I could probably fill this whole article with the titles of the articles that are "supposed" to fix your game). This tells me a few things about golfers: 1) we all want to get better, 2) we are anxious to absorb all the information possible to get better, and 3) golf is a game of continual improvement.

The question that may be running through your mind at this point is: "Why is this article any better the ones I read last week?" The answer is that it is not. It is different, not necessarily better or worse. The difference is the perspective from which this article is written. Let me explain.

I currently work on the PGA Tour as a personal trainer/strength and conditioning coach. Previous to my position on the tour I worked in professional baseball with the San Diego Padres and the Milwaukee Brewers training elite athletes. This article will look at improving your golf swing through the "my" eyes, which is a perspective different from players, swing coaches, and sports psychologists. This article will not speak directly about specific drills or mental thoughts that should be incorporated into your swing. We will look at golf from a broader perspective and provide some insight on how to approach improvement in your golf game on a day-to-day basis.

I see improvement in the sport of golf contingent upon three ideas. These ideas are categories that any golfer or any other athlete can apply to their daily lives for improvement in their sport of choice. The three keys to improvement in any athletic endeavor, golf included, are:

1) physical,
2) biomechanical, and
3) mental/emotional

Realize that entire books are written on these three subjects, and the point of this article is to present these keys to pique your interest for more information to help you improve your game.

Biomechanical (Golf Swing Mechanics)

Biomechanics is essentially physics applied to the body. The study of biomechanics concerns itself with how the body moves and what allows it to perform certain human movements. For example, biomechanics studies how the body moves to throw a baseball 95 miles per hour or how to swing a golf club to create club head speed of 120 miles per hour. Biomechanics looks at how the body moves to perform these actions efficiently. Biomechanics in relation to the golf swing concerns itself with how the body swings a golf club to get the most efficient and effective swing possible from the human body. I would estimate that probably 95% of the books, articles in golf magazines and television programs deal with the topic of biomechanics. When it comes to the biomechanics of the golf swing, the research is pretty solid, and "they" (swing coaches, instructors, etc?) know mechanically what the golf swing should do, and how the body is suppose to work to perform it correctly.

Biomechanically, the human body is not perfect. The perfect golf swing or the perfect pitching motion has yet to be achieved by any human. The professionals in such sports get very close. Their efficiency ratings when it comes to these athletic actions are in the 90's in terms of percentages, but there is yet to be a human who has achieved 100% biomechanical efficiency in any movement. Don't expect to be near 100% efficiency. To get better swing mechanics the bottom line is that you must find quality information, instruction and practice, practice, practice. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Physical "Golf Fitness" Recipe

The physical side of golf has to do with preparing the actual physical body to perform the athletic movement you are asking it to do. Every movement that your body performs, be it walking down the street, playing catch, or swinging a golf club, requires effort from your body. Your body has to perform "work" to complete these physical actions. To swing a golf club with the correct biomechanics in an effective and efficient manner, your body needs to be flexible, balanced, strong, have endurance, and power.

It becomes obvious that to swing a club on the correct path you body has to have the "platform or base" to do it correctly. Your platform consists of the flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power we discussed in the previous paragraph. These 5 pieces to the golf fitness puzzle are developed through training which create what is called a "transfer of training effect" into the golf swing.

Quite often I see amateur golfers lacking the necessary amounts of flexibility, balance, etc. and it hinders any possibility of developing the correct biomechanics of the golf swing.

So simply put, you have to develop a better swing; you need to develop more flexibility into your body, improve your balance, become stronger in your overall body, improve your muscular endurance and what we are all after, and improve your power.

Think of your golf fitness as a cookie recipe. If you leave out any one ingredient, your cookie will taste terrible.

Don't leave out any ingredients in your golf fitness plan.

Mental/Emotional

You have probably read articles of "the mental side of golf," which I think are great reads and have a significant benefit to your game. I know personally when I am confident in my swing, hitting the fairway off the tee is much easier. That has to do with confidence in my game in addition to success on the course. I would like to interject a point that I have seen from working with numerous professional athletes.

Let me begin by asking you a question: "which occurs first, success or confidence?" The answers I hear half the time are success and the other half of the time confidence. Let me first tell you that it is a trick question. The answer is as follows: "Proper preparation precedes success and confidence." So with that said, I found through experience that both success on the course and confidence in your game are a direct result of being properly prepared physically, mentally, and biomechanically for competition.

So just thinking about making a putt usually does not work. Making that putt or putting that drive into the fairway is more a result of days upon days of physical and biomechanical preparation of your swing. This will then foster what is required to make those shots on the course. One additional observation: I have found that creating the mental focus required for golf is much easier when you have developed the physical foundation for your swing. If you trust that your body will do what you ask it do, when you want it to do it, mentally the game becomes much easier.

Where can I learn more?

Again, remember my perspective is from a different corner. I also believe that if you put these three philosophies to work on a daily basis your golf game will improve by leaps and bounds. For more information and help with your total golf game, please go our web site at www.bioforcegolf.com

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website <a target="_new" href="http://www.bioforcegolf.com">http://www.bioforcegolf.com</a>. To contact Sean, you can email him at <a href="mailto:support@bioforcegolf.com">support@bioforcegolf.com</a>.

Which Golf Training Aids Improve Your Game?

2009-01-07T15:30:00.001-08:00

When you think of golf training aids, a number of them probably come to mind. For putting, you can invest in a putting mat and cup. For your swing you can buy a self-correcting club, or one with a computerized swing analyzer. There are many magazines and videos on the market that tell you how to improve virtually every aspect of your game.

These types of training aids can be valuable in helping you perfect your golf technique and swing mechanics. They can provide you with insight into very specific details about what you are doing wrong, and how you can correct it. The training aid you want to be sure not to overlook, however, is fitness.

Fitness impacts every aspect of your golf game. Without a fitness base, all the technique aids in the world aren't going to help you excel at golf. Proper fitness is the foundation of being a solid player. What types of aids can you find to improve your fitness so you can excel at golf?

For strength training you can use either free weights or cable pulley systems. In lieu of cable systems, purchase a set of strength training bands for added resistance. Variable resistance through cable systems or strength bands are great for beginners, those recovering from injuries, and for any level of athlete. They provide a controlled motion and allow you to focus on specific muscle groups. Free weights can work several muscles at a time and can improve your strength faster than traditional weight lifting machines. To work with free weights safely you should have a good sense of balance.

Swiss balls are also great fitness training aids because they work your core muscle group ? the muscles in your trunk, including your back and abdominal muscles. Exercise balls can be used in a variety of ways to improve your strength, joint and body stability and flexibility. Swiss balls can also help you improve your balance.

During a game of golf, you essentially use all muscle groups in your body, so your fitness routine will want to incorporate working your entire body. To be effective, you only need to work out three times a week, although many people like to break out their fitness routines into small portions each day of the week.

Once you've conquered the fitness aspect of training for golf, you're ready for all the technique tips you can find. Improving your technique becomes much easier when your body is ready for the challenge.

Get Moving and Save Strokes

2009-01-06T17:30:00.001-08:00

Whether you walk the course or ride a cart, a round of golf can leave the aerobically unfit golfer dragging by the late holes. Aerobic training improves lung capacity, circulation, and muscular endurance and leads to better performance and better overall health. The benefits of being aerobically fit aren't limited to physical performance; studies have shown aerobic exercise to improve resistance to mental stress (a major plus for the golfer). A dedicated aerobic training plan will help you save stokes by allowing you to maintain peak physical and mental performance throughout the round.

Aerobic conditioning should be performed three to six days per week for at least 20 to 30 min at your target heart rate. Training at the proper intensity is the key to aerobic training. During exercise we physically stress our body and it is our body's adaptation to that stress that makes us healthier. This is why a leisurely walk does not qualify for aerobic training; unless we push ourselves our training stimulus will not illicit a physiologic adaptation. Adaptations made by the heart and lungs in response to aerobic training allow them to work more efficiently by increasing their capacity to pump blood and utilize oxygen. This improved circlation and oxygenation allows the body to perform more work, at higher levels with less stress.

Determining Target Heart Rate

Method 1: Using a percentage of Maximal Attainable Heart Rate:

To determine your target heart rate you must first find your predicted Maximal Attainable Heart Rate also known as Heart Rate Max (HRM). To calculate the predicted (HRM) you subtract your age from 220. General guidelines for Target Heart Rate (THR) using this method are between 60 % HRM at the low end to 90 % HRM at the high end. Once you know your HRM simply multiple by .6 and .9 to find your target heart rate range.

For example for a 40 year old, subtract 40 from 220 to obtain your Heart Rate Max of 180 beats per minute. Then, by multiplying the HRM by the work rate (60%-90%) we know that this person should be exercising with a heart rate between 108 beats per minute to 160 beats per minute.

Method 2: Target heart rate as a percentage of Heart Rate Reserve (HRR)

Using this method is a bit more accurate as it takes into considerations ones normal resting heart rate. Heart rate reserve is the number of beats per minute between your normal resting heart rate and your maximal attainable heart rate. To calculate target heart rate using this method we use what's known as the Karvonen formula.

Karvonen formula: Target heart rate (THR) = (exercise intensity x HRR) + Resting Heart Rate.

General guidelines for THR (target heart rate) using this method are 50 % HRR - 85 % HRR.

Take your pulse to determine your Resting Heart Rate. To find your heart rate reserve (HRR) subtract your resting heart rate from your Heart Rate Max. Multiply the HRR by .5 to find lower limit, and multiply by .85 to find upper limit. Then add the resting heart rate back to that number to find the final result.

For example let's look at a forty year old with a resting heart rate of 80 beats per minute. Subtract 40 from 220 to come up with a Heart Rate Max of 180. Next, subtract resting rate of 80 from HRM of 180 to get a Heart Rate Reserve of 100. Take the HRR of 100 and multiply by the exercise intensity (between 0.5 and 0.85) then add back the resting heart rate. This gives a target heart rate of between 130 beats per minute and 165 beats per minute.

Generally, current fitness level determines where in the target range we should be exercising. Monitor your heart rate during aerobic exercise. It may be necessary to gradually work your way up to the recommended duration and target heart rate. If you're new to aerobic training or haven't exercised in a long time start out slowly. Gradually increase the pace and duration of your aerobic workouts. Before you know it you will be working at the recommended intensity levels and reaping the full benefit of your aerobic training. Include activities you enjoy in your aerobic program. Activities such as bicycling, tennis, basketball, and swimming are every bit as effective as jogging or stair stepper machines, and they are often more fun. If you are looking to reduce body fat, some studies suggest aerobic training first thing in the morning may stimulate an increase in fat burning throughout the entire day. Research has also shown that the general heath benefits of aerobic training can be gained if you break your daily sessions into two or more shorter bouts. Regardless of when you do it, aerobic exercise will get you looking, feeling, and playing better

Remember these are general guidelines; a qualified healthcare or fitness professional may be able to give you a more specific aerobic training perscription. It is recommended to consult your physician before starting an exercise program if you are a male 45 or older or a female 55 or older, have experienced chest pain, dizziness, rapid heart beat, shortness of breath, or have been diagnosed with cardiac, pulmonary or metabolic disease.

Bill Scibetta, RN, NSCA-CPT

Bill is the founder and President of Precision Fitness ? Personal Training Centers in the Charlotte, NC area and co-author of the book Play Better Longer! ? Peak Performance and Injury Prevention for Golf. Bill is a licensed Registered Nurse as well as a National Strength and Conditioning Association ? Certified Personal Trainer. After spending years practicing in the specialty of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Bill has dedicated his career to helping individuals identify and overcome obstacles that stand in the way of optimal wellness and peak physical performance. For more information visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.LakeNormanFitness.com">http://www.LakeNormanFitness.com</a>

Womens Golf Performance Is Directly Related To Strength

2009-01-05T10:20:00.001-08:00

Womens golf is not much different than mens golf, but there is one issue that comes to mind with women golfers.

Strength!

This is not always the case, but more times than not it is. The reason is?that women golfers don't focus on improving their strength when it comes to playing better golf. They'll hit more balls, take more lessons and even buy an instructional video or two.

Does this sound like you?

When you think of the golf swing; it takes a great amount of upper body strength to control the clubhead during the swing. Especially as you get to the longer irons and the driver.

The KEY to hitting longer drives, that go straighter more often is consistent swing mechanics. The ONLY way to duplicate optimal golf swing mechanics is to have a higher level of upper body strength ; especially in the shoulders and upper back muscles.

If you're weak in the above mentioned areas, you will not be able to set the at the top of your backswing consistently?resulting in mishits and robbing you of valuable distance. Not the outcome you want.

But by doing just a few simple golf-specific strength exercises, your swing can/and will improve dramatically.

I've been fortunate to work with hundreds of women golfers and have seen this result time and time again.

Making the most of your valuable time, to improve your golf is a pre-requisite. We are all short of time, so anything we can do to speed up the results is worth looking into.

So don't keep pounding golf balls and looking for the "magic bullet". The magic bullet is looking at you in the mirror.

Now make it happen!

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is a respected golf fitness expert, author and the founder of the webs first golf performance membership site for women called <a target="_new" href="http://www.FitGolfForWomen.com">Fit Golf For Women</a>. To learn simple and easy golf tips and techniques, go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.FitGolfForWomen.com">http://www.FitGolfForWomen.com.</a>

How To Get Your Golf Technique Right

2009-01-05T04:40:00.001-08:00

There is really no doubt about just how important the correct golf techniques are to playing a consistently good and yet enjoyable game. Actually ever since the inception of this wonderful game of golf, emphasis has always been on getting your golf technique right.

And not without reason. The game of golf is such that without constant attention to detail in golf techniques and without making an effort to always improve on your golf technique when playing, chances of making an impact in this game are really nil. It is also highly unlikely that you will ever enjoy your game.

In fact part of the attraction to the game for many, is the fact that seemingly simple movements contain so much attention to detail and application of the correct golf techniques to execute successfully.

However recent developments have put even more pressure on golfers to apply the correct golf techniques to their games. For example clubs have been made bigger and golfers have also gotten a lot fitter.

The result is that many golfers who have stuck to their golf technique and avoided exercises have suddenly found themselves under considerable pressure, especially as more and more amateur golfers embrace golf specific exercises to improve their game.

How do you compete successfully with a golfer who is in a golf exercise program, when you yourself shun them? They are bound to run rings round you no matter how good your golf technique is.

These are the bare facts, and if you are reading this and have in recent times found that you are enjoying your game less and less, than this is probably the time to consider joining a simple golf exercise program.

Your golf game is guaranteed to improve tremendously with the potent combination of golf specific exercises and the correct golf technique.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. For more information on his just released golf fitness dvds, visit his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf training</a> site at Perform Better Golf .

Increase Your Rotational Strength For A More Powerful Golf Swing

2009-01-05T01:00:00.001-08:00

Every golfer dreams of a fluid, unhindered golf swing. So why do so few of us actually achieve it?

The culprit is usually a weak core and poor posture.

You should aim for a healthy 60-degree rotation in your trunk if you want to achieve a free, smooth golf swing. Here are two simple exercises that you can perform to improve trunk rotation:

1. Improve Rotational Flexibility

Sit straight on a stool with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Hold your golf club across your shoulders. Turn around clockwise as far as you can, till you feel a good stretch. Then turn around anti-clockwise as far as you can. You might notice a difference in your turning ability on each side.

Work on your less flexible side to correct the imbalance. Having one side weaker than the other can affect your 'feel' for the game!

Many people perform this stretch standing, which is less effective as it permits movement at the knee and foot. Movement at these joints can compromise trunk rotation.

2. Improve Rotational Strength

Fix a cable with handle (or an exercise tube) to a low pulley. Do not set the weight too high. It's always easier to start low and then gradually raise your limits as you get accustomed to the moves.

Stand with your right side to the cable, feet are shoulder width apart. Grasp the cable handle with both your hands while standing erect. Pull the cable towards your left shoulder, ending up with your arms making a 45-degree angle to your neck. Keep only a slight bend in your elbows. Perform four reps and repeat with the other side.

Injuries and muscle imbalances often result from poor stability, which is the main cause for lack of coordination between your upper body and lower body. The abs and hips are your body's "transmission system" transferring power from the bigger and stronger muscles of the lower body to the upper body, which guides and controls your golf swing.

3. Stabilize your trunk for better rotation

Stand straight with your arms crossed at shoulder level and weight equally distributed on both legs.

Shift your weight to the left foot, and move your right foot one step away from your left foot. Make sure your right foot is firmly positioned on the floor. Rotate your upper body the same direction as the supporting leg.

Now shift your weight to the right foot while rotating your upper body to the same side. Do not lean forwards or backwards while you bend your knee. Your body should remain with good posture while maintaining a tight stomach and neutral back position.

Continue repeating this exercise so you can get a feel for what it is like to produce stability in your midsection while rotating from a more solid body position.

Finally- do not expect an instant miracle on the golf course. Perform these exercises regularly and keep adding new and challenging routines to work on your trunk flexibility, stability and strength!

Susan Hill is a fitness trainer, CHEK golf biomechanic and sports nutrition specialist. For on-line golf specific exercises and stretches, visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.fitnessforgolf.com">http://www.fitnessforgolf.com</a>

The Psychology of a Confident Golf Swing Part 2

2009-01-04T23:50:00.001-08:00

Here in England we are on the verge of the new football season and there is a large amount of transfer speculation and the like occurring. With football, we often find that the players who are doing well are confident. When they are having a great spell of the season, scored a lot of goals or something like that, their competence escalates as they feel more confidence. When their confidence is knocked, they might go through a bad spell and often their skills seem to be less available. My point here is that of self image and how we perceive ourselves. This is true with our golf swing also.

Our self-image often works like a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have got a great friend who won't mind me saying that he is not classically good looking (whatever that might be) however, he thinks of himself as attractive and as a result he carries a certain way about him that people are attracted to. Anyone who truly believes themselves to be acertain way; unnattractive or lacking in self-confidence for example, sabotage their chances of being anything else. This is the same with our own internal image of our golf swing.

Our self-image is very important to mention here; remember, you can never be better on the outside than you believe yourself to be on the inside. So you need to believe in your golf swing.

If someone feels negative, sad, angry or frustrated with their golf swing when they enter certain circumstances, events or situations, especially when taking to the golf course, it is very likely that they are going to feel lacking in confidence and this leads to lacking in competence with the golf swing. You need to change your self-image and paint a better picture of yourself in your mind as to how you believe your golf swing to be and what you feel capable of doing and being. No other person can reach inside us and change our feelings for us. If you really want to feel more confident about your golf swing, your self-image needs to be changed in relation to your golf swing. If you see yourself as successful, skilled and confident, you can enter any golf course with your head held high and standing tall and feeling safe and protected by it. You are feeling good about yourself and your golf swing.

We all react automatically to life according to our inner sense of ourselves. Our self-image is our inner sense of ourselves and we refer to that part of ourselves all the time to see how to behave or perform in certain circumstances. In other words, your reactions are founded in your self-image. Building and developing and creating a progressive, positive self-image with regards to your golf swing ensures that your automatic reactions come from a sense of freedom, confidence and are powerful.

I once attended a course whereby the facilitator had devised a wonderful technique that I use a lot with many of the individual clients that consult with me to better their golf swing. The reason I like it so much is because it makes you instantly feel good about your golf swing. This simple technique can be done absolutley any time that you are in a room with a mirror.

So many people I meet condition themselves to feel uncomfortable or bad when they look into a mirror by looking into it and thinking about fat, wrinkles or a blemish or how poor their golf swing is! I have noticed several of my friends look into a mirror and "tut" at themsleves while reminding themselves of all the bad things that attack our confidence. So this technique interupts that process and allows you to recondition yourself to feel better and more confident about your golf swing.

Ok, so first up, take a seat or position yourself comfortably in view of a mirror so that you will be able to see your entire self, however, do not look into it straight away. Just wait and look away for a moment.

Then, think about an occasion when someone you know was being sincere when they paid you a compliment following a shot you played. It can be any compliment what so ever of any kind related to your golf game.

Thirdly, remember what it was that they said and hear it again in your mind and remember how it made you feel. Locate where abouts in your body those feelings were. Really tune into them.

Now, imagine that feeling of being complimented, feeling good about your golf swing and feeling talented spreading through your system, working its way into your cells and into your mind, really imagine it spreading and travelling through you. Imagine that the more it spreads, the more intense the feelings become, this is going to make your golf swing awesome.

Now, turn or look up and into the mirror. Really look at yourself while feeling that feeling.

Spend some time enjoying this feeling.

Lastly, imagine taking a picture of yourself just like that image in the mirror. Imagine taking that picture right into your heart. Keep it there, right there, so that you can look at it whenever you want to remind yourself of how good you can feel about your golf swing.

Please remember; self-confidence is innate. It is built into us from the day we were born. We can often lose touch with it and learn to worry or lessen it, however, confidence is simply hard-wired into you. It is there all the time underneath your worries. Worries and lack with regards to your golf swing are things that can go up and down, can be learned and unlearned. Your confidence is always there beneath all that. Let it permeate in to your golf swing.

It is like when a baby keeps on wanting to walk and keeps on falling down and keeps on at it. However may times they stumble, they get up and they learn and they benefit from it. The persistence is rewarded. Your confidence is hard-wired into you. We all have it. Every technique in both parts of this confident golf swing article are just ways of reminding you all of what you already have.

Good luck with getting that confident golf swing.

Adam Eason is an author, consultant, trainer and motivational speaker in the fields of <a target="_new" href="http://www.adam-eason.com">hypnosis, NLP, personal development and human potential</a>. His website is filled with information, stimulating articles, resources and unique products.

Visit to also receive a free, unique <a target="_new" href="http://www.adam-eason.com">hypnosis session</a>, instantly downloadable, to enjoy in the comfort of your own home.

Core Strength For Golf

2009-01-04T11:20:00.001-08:00

When someone talks about core strength, they're referring to the strength of the muscles that go deep within the abs and back attaching to the spine or pelvis. A few of these muscles are the tranversus abdominis(TVA), the muscles of the pelvic floor, the lats and the obliques. The core muscles are the origination point for stability and movement on the golf swing. Stronger core muscles convert to better balance and a more powerful swing. Strength in the core muscles can also prevent injuries to the hips and back.

The relationship between core strength and speed and power capabilities is very important. Golfers must have the core strength to handle the power they are capable of generating peripherally. Therefore, an increase in speed or power requires an increase in core strength. Exercises to strengthen these muscles should be a continuous portion of your fitness regimen.

In recent years, there has been more implementation of functional fitness exercises. The same holds true for golf fitness. Rather than focusing strictly on separate muscle groups, the training is targeted to strengthen the overall movement pattern in an integrated fashion. More of the body is involved. Many of these types of exercises mimic movements required in the golf swing. The body becomes better conditioned for the anticipated movement and strength improves as well.

Core strength is important to the golfer because the core is where all movement begins. It is the body's center of gravity. Core muscles act to produce power, stabilization and transference of energy.

Many people have weak core muscles. A weaker core leaves the golfer much more susceptible to injuries. As time progresses, this continued weakness goes from spinal stress to injury to more permanent damage.

For more power and stability, as well as overall continued health, core strengthening exercises are among the best activities you can pursue. For stronger golf, strengthen the core!

Golf Clubs Reviews And Tips

2009-01-04T06:20:00.001-08:00

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips is the central message of this article.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #1: Try the TaylorMade r5 dual TP which is a new driver that is made with revolutionary technology.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #2: The Nike Ignite features the hottest and strongest titanium ever created.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #3: Try the Callaway Big Bertha 484 if you want to maximum your drives.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #4: The Titleist 905S is a driver that has a deep face and will also allow for the higher speed or higher spin player who is looking for more trajectory.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #5: Take care of your golf clubs, keep them clean.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #6: Carry a towel with you when you are on the course. You can use the towel to clean your clubs if you encounter mud, sand or water while golfing.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #7: Don't keep your golf clubs in the trunk of your car or in an area where heat, cold and humidity can affect them.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #8: Buy headcovers for your woods and also for your putter. You might even consider headcovers for your irons.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #9: Every few rounds inspect your clubs for shiny areas on the grips and worn or cracked places.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #10: If you are golfing and it rains you should always clean your clubs as soon as you are done playing.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #11: Take care of your clubs and they will take care of you!

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Golf-Swing-Improvement.com. He provides more golfing tips, putting tips and <a target="_new" href="http://www.golf-swing-improvement.com/Golf-Swing-Instruction.html">golf swing instruction tips</a> that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

A Valuable Golf Exercise In Your Office When You Have A Moment

2009-01-03T03:10:00.001-08:00

Golf exercise is not necessarily in a gym. Getting creative with what you have can make all the difference and have a very positive impact on your game.

Even extremely busy executives can get 15 seconds at a time while seated at their computer or work station in the office, for some golf exercise.

There are actually many different stretch golf exercises you can get done in your office, here is one.

I call it the seated twist golf exercise. Sit upright in your chair with your chest high and back straight. Reach behind you with one arm, which will rotate your upper body. While staying erect, twist as far as you can go and hold. You can then twist the other way and repeat.

Go both sides 2-3 times, holding for 10 seconds. This is a very effective golf exercise for eliminating or even reducing back pain and at the same time tremendously improving your backswing and follow through range of motions. The result will be a much better swing, higher club head speed and much more distance.

There are numerous other golf exercises that can easily be done from the comfort of your office or home, which will have a major impact on your game because they help develop muscles and parts of your body that you need for various stages of the golf swing.

Other golf exercises involve the use of simple equipment or products designed specifically to help correct certain weaknesses in your golf game. So the best approach is to identify what your major weakness in the game currently is. An expert in golf conditioning can then recommend the best product that will give you the golf exercise most vital to correct the particular weakness you want to eliminate.

Golf exercises are a very important part of the modern golf game that cannot be ignored.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Check out his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness ? golf training</a> site at Perform Better Golf.

All Time Greatest Club Breaking Events in History? and the Winner is?..

2009-01-02T15:50:00.001-08:00

If you have a Great Golf Story you would like to share, email it to <a href="mailto:floyd@sbmag.org">floyd@sbmag.org</a>

More interesting golf stories at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.sbmag.org/Golf_Stories/Great_Golf_Stories_Index">http://www.sbmag.org/Golf_Stories/Great_Golf_Stories_Index</a>.

Understanding The Rotary Nature of The Golf Swing

2009-01-01T01:20:00.001-08:00

The golf swing is really a rotary movement in nature. Actually part of the real secret behind the perfect golf swing has to do with a golfer understanding the rotary motions in the golf swing and being able to perfect and master them.

This is of course easier said than done. In the past many golfers have had to struggle for decades trying to get their golf swing right with poor results at best. Most hardly ever achieved a good consistent golf swing, let alone getting to understand the key rotary movements in the golf swing motion.

However in recent years a short-cut of sorts has emerged where golf specific exercises which include both strength building and stretch exercises have worked miracles in helping numerous golfers of all ages to dramatically improve on their golf swing. Many have done so by getting the rotary motions in the golf swing right and mastering them to a large extent.

The perfect rotary golf swing really involves limiting the amount of horizontal and vertical body movements so that the entire rotary golf swing movement involves swinging your entire body around your spine.

Obviously the more physically fit, or golf fit a golfer is, the easier it will be to achieve this rotary golf swing.

You can imagine how unnatural the rotary golf swing movement is and indeed how dangerous it can be to a body and muscles that have not been prepared or exercised and conditioned for it.

Little wonder that golf injuries are so common these days. The results are a joy to watch and also a great joy for the player who ends up thoroughly enjoying their game.

This is because shots will fly further and yet the golfer will be in more control over the direction that they are headed. Exercise makes the rotary golf swing much easier to achieve.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Will A Night Golf Tournament Ruin Your Course?

2008-12-31T12:50:00.001-08:00

In summary, just use some basic Common Sense when setting up your course for Night Golf. This will increase the fun factor and the participants inquiring the date for the next tournament.

Junior Golfers Gain A Competitive Edge By Building A Stronger Body

2008-12-31T12:00:00.001-08:00

Strength training for juniors is supported by organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Each of these organizations encourages children's participation in appropriately designed training programs as long as they are competently supervised.

Many research reports conclude that juniors can benefit from strength training programs through the improvement of motor fitness skills, self esteem, overall strength and physical and emotional well being.

For those juniors who are anxious to get an early start with strength training as a perfect compliment to their golf game, let's review the importance of form, function and good nutrition. These principles serve as the foundation for junior fitness and a lifetime of health and wellness for your young athlete.

Form. Each exercise we perform has a specific method of set up, instruction and properly executed form for each movement. There are muscles which stabilize while other muscles activate. Each plays a role in an exercise. When we compromise on technique or what is considered good form, injuries occur. When we place inappropriate loads on unsupported bodies, we no longer create an opportunity for growth, but rather continue to place unnecessary stress on our bodies. Take the time to learn proper form and lifting techniques. Once your child learns the basics, make sure they are properly supervised as they learn about their bodies and their new found capabilities. Remember these principles will serve as the foundation for their future so take the time to help them understand the importance of safety and appropriate lifting techniques.

Function. Once you set safety and proper form as your priority, it's time to choose an appropriate exercise program. Many young players ask about the right number of sets and reps for their age. Just remember that young players are not aspiring weightlifters or bodybuilders, but rather strength builders. Junior golfers should begin with body weight exercises that place an emphasis on many muscle groups and movement patterns which mimic real life movements such as pushups, pull-ups, and multi directional lunges. Weights can be used, but the focus should be light weights and higher repetitions. Simply choose 5 or 6 exercises and perform 15 to 20 reps while continuing your concentration on good form and technique. Never compromise on the quality of your movement in favor of increased repetitions. Begin with only a few repetitions until you master an exercise. Parents or instructors should provide clear instruction and close supervision.

Good Nutrition. As role models, parents have the responsibility to educate their children on the importance of proper nutrition. I'm sure, as adults, we've often wondered how different we would have viewed food if our parents had spent more time with us. Regardless of their age, it is not too late to teach them about fueling an athletic body and powerful mind. In the end, food fulfills three basic requirements. These are to provide fuel for their bodies, regulation of their metabolism and to support new tissue growth. Children who golf need an abundance of nutrients in the form of variety, balance and moderation. In the absence of proper nutrients, you sacrifice their growth as well as their future golf performance.

Susan Hill is a CHEK Golf Biomechanic, Sports Nutritionist and President of Fitness for Golf. For exercises and articles specific to junior golfers, then visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.fitnessforgolf.com">http://www.fitnessforgolf.com.</a>

Selecting A Golf Gift That No Golfer Will Forget

2008-12-31T04:40:00.001-08:00

Even as you contemplate on getting a golf gift for a close friend or acquaintance, you may have heard other golfers complain on numerous occasions about how useless some golf aid equipment they spent a fortune on turned out to be.

This is not to say that golf products designed to improve golfer's games do not work. They do and they are the perfect golf gift, if you can get it right.

The problems folks get with golf products in most cases is because of a failure to focus on the particular weakness that requires improvement and then doing your shopping with adequate knowledge so that you do not have to rely on the shop assistant whose work it is to sell you as much as they possibly can.

For example when considering a golf gift, it would be difficult to go wrong with a weighted club. This is the sort of golf improvement gift product that is very golf-specific. It works well to develop and condition all the muscles you use frequently in every golf swing you make on the course.

Exercise tubing would also make an ideal golf gift. The beauty of this product is that it allows you to break down the golf swing into the many different phases and thus allows you to make improvements to the various different segments of the golf swing. What is even more attractive about this golf gift is the price. It costs approximately $20-$25.

The stability ball is another ideal golf gift. Any golfer with a bad back should have one. With the right guidance and advice, you can do so many different stretches using the stability ball. It can even be easily used in an office to do the stretches in brief moments away from your work station.

In getting a golf gift you should also consider hand weights. And these are not for the purpose of developing huge muscles, there are golf-specific exercises that concentrate on "golf muscles" and can help improve anybody's game. Hand weights cost only 50 cents a pound and are very portable.

In your search for a golf gift, you can even get more specific and select a training aid specific to the particular weakness of the golfer that you are targeting. For instance the Inside Approach is ideal in correcting the problems associated with slicers and would make for an unforgettable golf gift for a slicer.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Check out his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site at Perform Better Golf.

What Hinders You From Hitting Long Drives Will Shock You

2008-12-30T23:10:00.001-08:00

Hitting long golf drives is the desire of every golfer when they are on the course.

Sadly many fail to achieve this objective most of the time and the best game in the world which you are supposed to enjoy enormously, instead ends up being a very frustrating experience.

Yet hitting long golf drives need not be so difficult to achieve. Actually the greatest hindrance to your hitting long golf drives is you.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Visit his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site at Perform Better Golf.

Golf Strength Training Slows The Aging Process

2008-12-30T22:20:00.001-08:00

Golf strength training is critical in slowing down the effects of aging. Issues like rapidly declining strength, flexibility, and endurance. The number of golfers who are middle age or older is growing and they all want to play as long as possible.

In order to both slow the aging process AND play longer, you need adequate levels of strength, flexibility, and other physical abilities.

Golfers (and most others) lose as they age. The cause is quite simple. They do not partake in any form of golf strength training exercises to maintain the fitness levels they had early on in life.

It is NEVER too late to improve strength and flexibility. I have worked with golfers in person and via my websites that are in their 70's and 80's that have almost doubled their current strength and dramatically improved their flexibility (specific to golf).

Just by doing a simple golf strength training routine a couple of times a week, you will increase the level of strength and other important aspects, and not be as aware of the changes that come with aging. You can't stop it, but you can slow it down and even reverse it depending on your current level of fitness.

One of the major areas most senior golfers lose?is the flexibility in their midsection (core), which is critical in generating power in the golf swing. As a result, the senior golfer will make a change in swing technique, rather than address the physical limation.

There are many senior golfers who can still play a good game of golf due to the fact of playing and practicing throughout the years?however their swing execution, power and overall consistency has been dramatically affected.

Therefore, it is critical for senior golfers to maintain or increase strength, flexibility, even balance and coordination to preserve the performance or level of golf they so yearn to achieve.

Given the above scenario, I hope you realize the importance of golf strength training.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds and manual at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf swing tips</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Mental Toughness for Golfers: Avoiding Comfort Zones in Golf

2008-12-30T21:30:00.001-08:00

A comfort zone becomes a problem whenever a player is playing better than expected or is breaking new ground. I teach golfers how to break out of self-limiting expectations and preconceived beliefs. Comfort zones don't limit great players on tour, such as David Duval, Tiger Woods, and Davis Love, III. Comfort zones actually benefit pro golfers when they can bring a poor round back into their scoring zone and turn a score of 76 into a 72.

When going low, pros don't just try to "get it in the clubhouse" when they get to four under par after 12 holes. If a pro gets to four under par after 12, that's great, but he doesn't stop there. His goal is to get to five under. This attitude, adopted by many professionals, is far from the mindset of the amateur who is playing better than expected or on the verge of breaking a personal best score. In my new book, "Going Low" I teach golfers how to play without the restriction of a comfort zone.

Shooting a personal best round requires many important skills. Great golfers play well because they know how to practice efficiently, are dedicated to improvement, and know the best way to prepare themselves for a round of great golf. I'm not talking about hitting two buckets of balls to get ready for tomorrow's match. Pros are dedicated to quality practice, focused preparation, and improving their games daily. This is the foundation for the development of confidence.

To shoot a personal low round you also need to know how to prepare to play the course, have the ability to make a game plan, and deal with the distractions of the group. You also need to practice in a way that makes your swing repeatable. You must learn how to score your best when it counts, and simplify your game so you can focus on playing golf instead of always working and grinding at it. Going low also requires that you discard any preconceptions about what is and what is not possible to achieve.

The first step to going low is to unlock the self-imposed limits of your own success. I want my students to identify their own mental barriers and unhealthy beliefs that prevent them from consistently playing their best. The next step is to eradicate unhealthy expectations and irrational beliefs so you can unlock your own success. For example, once Roger Banister broke the four-minute mile, everyone broke it because the barrier had been shattered. The first step is to break your own self-limiting beliefs. In articles to follow, I talk more about how to overcome self-limiting expectations and comfort zones.

Dr. Patrick J. Cohn is a master mental game coach who works with athletes of all levels including amateur and professionals. Visit Peaksports.com to gain access to over 500 exclusive mental game articles, audio programs, and interviews with athletes and coaches to enhance your athletic potential: <a target="_new" href="http://www.peaksports.com/membership/">http://www.peaksports.com/membership/</a> or call 888-742-7225.

To become a mental game coach, visit: <a target="_new" href="http://www.mentalgamecoachingpro.com">http://www.mentalgamecoachingpro.com</a>

How Playing Short will Save You Strokes

2008-12-30T11:20:00.001-08:00

It's a pretty simple tip really, but it will help you to lower your scores.

What you should get out of this lesson is that short is usually better regarding approach shots, and I'm going to explain a few reasons why I believe this to be true.

Let's set the scene. We'll use the same example throughout. Let's say that you usually hit your 8 iron around 150 yards, and you are 160 out. Now, most golfers would probably grab their 7 iron here, and think to themselves, "I'll just take a little off this, and I'll be right on the pin".

Problem: Most recreational golfers don't have the ability to add and take off power from their swings.

You should focus first, and foremost, on mastering one swing, including the tempo, speed, and power that it takes to perfect that one swing. Once you start trying to swing a little easier or a little harder, problems start to sneak into your round. You are trying to play for the pin and instead, you end up in the bunker on the right side of the green, and now you've just turned a par hole into a double bogey.

The difference in distance between your 7 and 8 iron should be about 10-15 yards. The Point? Hit your 8 iron every time in the above situation. Don't mess with your swing. Go with what you trust. Hit the 8 iron 150 yards, and let the ball roll onto the green. At that point, anything can happen. You may end up 2 inches, 2 feet, or 20 feet from the pin, but at least you're putting.

Benefit 1: If you mishit the ball a little further than usual, you're still in good shape because you played a little short in the first place. If you hit the ball a little short, you're still okay, because chances are, you're sitting in the middle of the fairway, maybe on the fringe.

Benefit 2: If you go to the right or the left, since you played the shorter club, you're not going to be as far right or left as you would have been with the 7 iron. This could mean that you are still on the green, or it could mean that you are on either side of the fairway. But chances are that you are still in decent shape.

Summary: When you're trying to decide between two clubs, take a second to look at the hazards around the green. If there's a bunker or some water guarding the front of the green, then sure, it may be a good idea to take the larger club. But other than this exception, you are almost always better off, taking less club. You'll stay out of trouble, and that is the key to lowering your overall score.

Golf Exercise Tip ? How To Warm Up

2008-12-30T06:00:00.001-08:00

A useful golf exercise tip to take into consideration is the fact that warming up before your game of golf can dramatically help you improve the quality of your game.

The warm up session does not need to be something elaborate or strenuous. You can get creative and take a brisk walk from your car to the course.

The idea is to get your muscles warm before you even engage in stretch exercises prior to tee off. This is the sort of golf exercise tip that should not be ignored by any golfer.

Stretch exercises are very important to the golf swing tip. We have seen from various golfers who have taken on our exercise program. And yet stretch exercises will work out much better for you when you briefly warm up before embarking on them on the course.

The idea is to get your muscles warm and ready before doing your stretch routine in readiness for the game. You will prove this golf exercise tip because usually after completing your warm up and stretch exercises, you will feel much more comfortable when executing the golf swing.

The confidence alone will put you in a perfect frame of mind to make very few mistakes while consistently making those extra long drives.

Warming up may sound strange. Probably as strange as exercises sounded in golf in the first few years. But the fact of the matter is that golf has changed dramatically and virtually almost all pros are involved in serious golf specific exercise programs these days.

By implementing this extra golf exercise tip of warming up prior to your exercises or even game, you will see a tremendous improvement in your performance.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

5 Important Things to Consider When Choosing Golf Clubs

2008-12-29T01:10:00.001-08:00

Every golfer knows that having proper equipment is essential. Choosing golf clubs has become some what of a daunting task because of the enormous market out there. We have come up with 5 simple things to consider when choosing golf clubs.

1. First of all you have to be honest with yourself in deciding what skill level you're at. Are you a beginner just starting out, an intermediate weekend golfer, or an expert golfer who plays all the time? This is critical because there are different types of equipment designed to help every level of player. Playing with expert equipment if you are just starting out will only hurt your game.

2. Stay within your spending limits. You have to know what type of budget you are working with. Golf can become very expensive if you don't stay within your means. There is equipment and accessories designed for every budget, you just have to know where to look.

3. Figure out your strengths and weaknesses. Do you know hook or slice the ball? Are you a long or short hitter? Do you sink many puts when you have to, etc.? You must know these qualities of your game. When you go to your local shop or golf pro it will be easy for them to get you fitted correctly if you know this information.

4. How often do you play? Are you a weekend golfer or an addict who plays all the time? This will determine what golf clubs and accessories you should purchase. Don't go out and spend a fortune on complex equipment and other things if you only play the game on the weekend with your buddies. On the other hand if you travel all over competing and playing, you are going to need the quality equipment that allows that.

5. Finally make sure you do your own research. Read golf magazines, articles, newspapers, and anything else you can get your hands on. Go to demo days at your local club or driving range and any local golf shows. Check online at manufacturer's websites and other informative golf club websites. You can find anything online. Doing research is the key to getting what you want.

If you use these 5 simple tips to choosing golf clubs it will be simple for you to get fitted with exactly what you need. So go out and get those brand new clubs you have been thinking about for while.

More great tips on choosing your golf clubs can be found at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.golfequipmentsource.com/golfclubs.html">www.golfequipmentsource.com/golfclubs.html</a>

John Bolt is the full time owner of <a target="_new" href="http://www.golfequipmentsource.com/golfclubs.html">http://www.golfequipmentsource.com/golfclubs.html</a>

With years of competitive golf experience under his belt, he understands the importance of having properly fitted golf equipment. You can visit him online at his website.

Junior Golf Is Becoming More Competitive?Why?

2008-12-28T11:30:00.001-08:00

How do you get the edge when you're playing junior golf? To keep up with the top junior golfer's means getting stronger both physically and mentally; and almost perfecting your golf swing. That's how competitive it's become.

There are big bucks at stake. Full scholarships are now worth up to a hundred thousand dollars, and for some of these to junior golfers, becoming a professional golfer can mean millions...

We have started to see a dramatic change in the caliber of junior golfers. They are getting fitter, stronger and are hitting it as long as the PGA and LPGA players. This is a combination of personal coaching on swing mechanics and getting stronger.

Junior golfers like Ty Tryon, Michelle Wie and the Song sisters are a perfect example of what junior golfers are capable of, given the right approach. Parents are now realizing the investment in their kid's golf pays off big when they receive partial or full scholarships for college. The difference between junior golfers and adults is typically strength - not flexibility. I've worked with hundreds of junior golfers and within a very short period of time, doing strength training, their drives increased as much as 50 yards.

Participating in a strength training program doing the wrong exercises can hurt junior golfers not help them. The exercises have to compliment the golf swing from a dynamic standpoint and a stability standpoint. If this is not taken into consideration, improvement will not happen.

The age to begin a strength training workout for juniors is between 12-13 on up. Having a professional oversee the program at the earlier ages is crucial. The upside is a rapidly improving game and who knows...a scholarship for college.

Too many parents and juniors are going it alone and aren't seeing the results they hoped for. This can be a long and frustrating road to take. Why not save years of searching and hundreds if not thousands of dollars, by doing a little research? Do some talking around your town to see if anyone knows of a fitness trainer who understands golf.

They are a rare breed, but if you look hard enough you can find someone somewhat qualified. Even talk to some of the teaching pros. They might know of some golf trainers who are acceptable. If not, hit the book store. There are several golf fitness books out there, but be on the "lookout".

From what I've seen, most of them are NOT golf fitness books, but only "general" fitness books in disguise. If you see any pictures of a golfer sitting in or on a machine, don't by the book. That is a telltale sign of a general fitness book. Remember, golf is played on your feet, not sitting down.

So get the edge, by getting stronger for golf! Who knows?you may be the next Tiger Woods or Annika Sorenstam.

The Cure for a Fat Shot

2008-12-27T18:30:00.001-08:00

This problem may be easier to fix than you think. You may not realize it, but your back shoulder may be dipping towards the ground. This move forces the club to hit the ground too early. Most of the time it happens when you are really trying to get into the ball. Imagine?You're 200 yards out and you've chosen to hit the 4 iron. When you've got it in your head that you have to hit the ball hard to get it there, it's natural tendency to start your downswing with the hips in an effort to "really get into the ball". That may work in baseball, but not in golf.

I'd like to take you through what happens if you make that move in golf. First, get in the your setup position, now take your backswing and hold it at the top. Now move only your hips horizontally towards the target, and notice the way it forces your back shoulder to "dip". If you've made that "dip" with your back shoulder, it's over. You are going to hit behind the ball 90% of the time, and if you do make good contact, you'll probably end up with a killer slice. Lateral movement is no good for the golf swing.

To avoid this problem, and to simplify your golf swing, keep the lower body out of the equation. If you really want to get into the ball, start your downswing with your arms. It's tough to do if you have a habit formed, but once you get used to it, you won't be hitting the ball fat anymore. Most golfers over-emphasize the weight shift. If you keep your hips still, the weight shift will still occur, but it will happen naturally.

Get to the top, keeping your leading arm as straight as possible. Now start down at the ball with your leading arm fully extended. Your head hasn't moved laterally, and your hips haven't moved laterally. Now to take this to the next step, imagine the entire golf swing, through impact, occurring underneath the upper body.

Concentrate on keeping your front shoulder strong and "down" on the ball. This will enable you to keep your swing on the correct plane, and it will help your hands to keep up with your body. Don't let that shoulder come up and away from the target before impact as that will cause your body to get ahead of your hands leading to fat shots and slices.

Warm Up With A Back Exercise For Golf

2008-12-27T09:40:00.001-08:00

Let's face it, if you are a passionate golfer who likes to hit the links whenever you have the opportunity, at some point in time you are likely to be faced with lower back pain. Fortunately, there are some great exercises that will help you work through lower back pain, and also prevent it from occurring in the first place.

The reason that lower back pain is common in golf is that your spine receives significant stress from the rotational movement of the golf swing. You will want to be sure that you are swinging properly and not placing undue strain on your back. Have an instructor or professional take a look at your swing and let you know where you can improve it. In addition to the rotation involved in your swing, you also use your back just picking up the ball and your golf bag.

The first exercises you'll want to do are stretching exercises, especially before you hit the course. You don't want to begin playing without properly warming up your back muscles. There are a couple of back exercises you can do that will prepare your back by warming up those muscles ahead of time. Think of your pre-round stretches as progressive warm ups. Before taking your first swings of the game, take a few slow, stretching practice swings to ease your back into the motion of swinging. With each successive swing, you should attempt to slowly increase your range of motion.

Tips to reduce back pain due to lifting you bag include investing in a good bag stand, and also considering bags that have a dual strap so you avoid placing all of the bag's weight on one shoulder.

Think about your back's health even when not playing golf. Good back health tips include maintaining good posture, staying at a health body weight, and avoiding stress (which can cause strain in your lower back). Overall fitness is important to feeling good on the course. If you maintain a proper fitness routine, you'll find that aches and pains disappear as your body becomes conditioned to the workout golf provides.

Improve Your Golf Game With Perfect Golf Swing Drills

2008-12-26T16:00:00.001-08:00

Perfect golf swing drills will help your golf game improve dramatically.

There are perfect golf swing drills you can do on your own. You may want to take lessons that will center around perfect golf swing drills. A golf pro may be able to help you with perfect golf swing drills. You can get information online about perfect golf swing drills.

Check out golf magazines and see if they have any articles written about perfect golf swing drills. You can purchase videos that show you perfect golf swing drills. Another idea if you are looking for golf swing drills is to buy a book about golf.

At the beginning of the perfect golf swing drills practice you should consider your posture. If you do not have perfect posture the perfect golf swing drills will not help you.

One part of a perfect golf swing drills program is the takeaway. The left arm is attached to your chest and the clubhead should be outside your hands as the club is about halfway back. Perfect golf swing drills centered around the takeaway continues with your left wrist cupped, right arm above your left and right knee flexed.

Perfect golf swing drills continue in the takeaway area when you put the butt of the club into your stomach as you grip the long iron just below the handle. Keep the shaft elevated so the clubhead is at knee height and then think about your arms, torso, legs, hips and club as being one unit.

The drill progresses when you take the club back by turning your body and feeling that your hands and wrists are not involved in manipulating the club.

Perfect golf swing drills may be just what you need to cut some strokes off your game.

What A Golf Conditioning Tip Must Have

2008-12-26T11:40:00.001-08:00

To start with you must realize that golf conditioning tips are specifically useful to playing the golf game and will therefore concentrate on the so called golf muscles in the body.

So whatever exercises the golf conditioning tip is focusing on, be it stretching or strength-building, they must be focused on improving the golf swing and the golf game of an individual in general.

Use of dumb bells in the golf conditioning tip should be concentrated on building strength rather than big muscles.

However the truth is that dumb bells can also be used to build strength in muscles and in fact they are extremely effective in doing just this.

Keeping this few points in mind will help you to always identify the better golf conditioning tips.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Are Golf Conditioning Routines Really Necessary

2008-12-26T09:20:00.001-08:00

Many golfers around the world still do not understand why experts these days insist on golf conditioning routines when the game has been played for decades without the need for any sort of exercising.

Why now? Why this great emphasis on golf conditioning routines to the extent where virtually all professionals have a serious golf conditioning routine that they stick to religiously?

Strangely enough the same question is not asked about the general exercise craze that has swept society in the recent past. Nobody wants to ask why our grandmothers got by just fine without any aerobics.

The facts are that life has changed a great deal. And these days enough exercise is part and parcel of modern healthy living. Any doctor will tell you that you fail to get enough exercise for your body at great risk to your health and life. It doesn't matter what your grandfather did.

With golf it gets even more important because golfers require stamina to make their way around the golf course and still enjoy the sport. Golf conditioning routines are an important aspect towards achieving that goal.

Then there is the golf swing, which will happen only with muscles conditioned and strengthened to give the golfer the long drives they so desire. Golf conditioning routines go a long way in helping a golfer prepare golf specific muscles in their body for the game.

It helps greatly when your golf conditioning routine is from a golf exercise expert and not just any other person. Actually the wrong exercise routine can sometimes worsen your game rather than improve it.

It is a fact that golfers need to take care of their most important golf playing equipment, which is their bodies. They need to prepare it for the strains and stresses of this beautiful game and a very critical part of that is a good golf conditioning routine.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness training</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Improve Your Golf Game Right Now

2008-12-26T07:20:00.001-08:00

Improve your golf game right now you say? I say, absolutely! Don't waste another dime on new golf equipment; taking one more lesson; or hitting one more ball at the range, until you finish reading this article.

You see?it's not what you think that's not allowing you to improve your golf game.

It's something very simple and easy to remedy. It's YOU! How your body moves throughout your golf swing.

Let me ask you?do you feel nice and loose, relaxed and fluid when you swing a club on the golf course? Do you feel like your backswing is what it should be? How about your distance off the tee? Are you happy with it?

Now let me ask. What have you done to improve the above situation? And has it worked up to now? If it has?congratulations! I am very happy to hear that another golfer is improving.

If it isn't working?don't you think you should try a different approach? One that makes total sense from a mechanical (technique) standpoint.

If you've tried all the above?there's only one thing left. As I said above?YOU!

Your body is what swings the club and produces the end-result. Not the equipment, balls or all the lessons you take.

You've got to start with the engine (your body) first, to be able to make a mechanically sound and repeatable swing for 18 holes of golf.

Your body has physical limitations. All of ours does. Each person is unique, and has a different set of physical issues that need to be addressed. But when they are?look out! The game gets much easier and a whole lot funner.

With our country getter bigger (heavier) by the day?this is a great reason to embark on a golf training program that will not only improve your golf game, but help you achieve your health goals also. Now isn't that reason enough to get started right away?

You will be amazed at your fast rate of golf improvement once you take this approach. You will be making swings and producing power you've never seen before. Why? Because you are eliminating your physical limitations that have kept you from achieving the golf swing you know you are capable of.

The jury is out! All the pros are doing it. You've got to be next!

It's time to improve your golf game once and for all!

Mental Concentration, Golf, and You

2008-12-25T18:00:00.001-08:00

All players, when they are concentrating on a stroke, are in some respects mad; for a second they become monomaniac; you are possessed with an idea that is fixed in your mind; your singleness of purpose is absolute if you really are concentrating. And I cannot imagine how anything can disturb them unless they allow it to. If this does happen, then, in my opinion, you cannot be giving your whole mind to the stroke, you aren't concentrating.

When you are out on the course there are many minor distractions that you may encounter, from coughing or sneezing, all the way up to load and obnoxious crowds or players. But once a player gets into the habit of being put off their game by these little worries, you are unlikely to make any progress in the game, and you run the risk of wandering around the course looking for things at which to be annoyed, actually seeking them. Few golfers realize that their game cannot stand still, whether their handicap is scratch, eight, or eighteen; their standard of play must progress or retrogress, improve or deteriorate, according to the amount they play or practice.

In connection with this notion, a friend of mine suggests the obliteration from the mind of a bunker that is directly in the line of play. I might say (but I have not any intention of doing so) that my friend has chosen the wrong word. My argument is this: Was the player who landed in the bunker thinking of the bunker when he played his stroke, or was the golfer imagining that it was quite likely that the ball would land in the bunker?

By a law to which there are no exceptions, the will yields to the imagination. As an illustration of this, any one can walk along a plank a foot in width when it is lying on solid earth; but place that plank across the two trestles of a bridge, twenty feet up in the air, and not one person in twenty will walk calmly across it, because they imagine that they are likely to fall off! Undoubtedly this player in the aforementioned match actually imagined the ball hopping into the bunker, and that was the last conscious act before making the fatal stroke.

Can there be any other meaning to the word concentration, in a mental sense, than a focusing of the attention? And further, can you focus your attention on such a thing as a golf ball? I answer these questions with another question: Doesn't the golfer focus his attention, not on the ball itself, but on some action connected with the ball? I grant you that you can concentrate on a golf ball, on the size of it, on its marking, or on the dents you may have made in it, but no player wishes to do this in the middle of a close match. So that when a golfer is "concentrating on the ball," he or she is in reality concentrating on the stroke they are about to make. The golfer is focusing their attention on the desire to put the ball as near the hole as possible; and can it be doubted that the average golfer starts concentrating on the second shot long before he or she reaches the ball? This appears to me to be a fatal policy. It is well enough for a golfer to plan the method of play for the whole of any particular hole when they are on the tee, and yet I do not think that even this is a good plan. You may hit your tee shot, "as per schedule," only to find that your ball is reposing in an old divot mark and that it is thus quite impossible to use a the proper club for your second shot. So the whole of your concentration is wasted.

The ideal method of playing golf is not to use your mind until you have to. When you reach your ball, concentrate as hard as you can, for upon your powers of concentration your next stroke depends. I have said, in common with every other writer on the game that hesitation is fatal, but it seems to me desirable that I should now amplify that statement. "Those who hesitate are lost," because they aren't concentrating. If you concentrate hard enough you cannot hesitate, provided you are clear about what you are concentrating on.

Jarrod Cash and Michael Black have created "The Lost Golf Secrets Collection" available at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.LostGolfSecrets.com">http://www.LostGolfSecrets.com</a>

Are You Too Busy Practicing Your Swing to Improve Your Game? Stop Playing Golf the Hard Way!

Natural Golf Tips

2008-12-23T08:20:00.001-08:00

Golf tips are often welcomed by the most avid of golfers. This article will suggest some natural golf tips. Natural golf tips will help you with the game mentally as well as physically.

The first of these natural golf tips has to do with the mental aspect of the game. If you think you can do it, you are right and if you think you can't do it you are also correct.

The second of these natural golf tips that is in the mental attitude area is to learn how to play even if you are not relaxed. You may not always feel or be relaxed but you need to learn to play through those feelings.

A third tip in the area of natural golf tips has to do with positive self-talk. It will be much better for your game if you can learn to get rid of all the negative self-talk.

Now some natural golf tips that will help you improve your game. Work on good tempo and balance. Natural golf tips for all golfers include practice. Practice makes perfect and natural golf tips in this category include time to practice your swing, chipping and putting.

There are natural golf tips for those who have problems with certain aspects of the game like stance or driving. You can use natural golf tips involving drills that will help your performance.

If you are looking for natural golf tips and need some lessons you can sign up at the golf course or talk to a pro.

Natural golf tips abound and you should have no trouble finding as many as you need.

Golfer? Back Exercise Can Eliminate Back Pain

2008-12-23T00:40:00.001-08:00

'Golfer' back exercise is a key part of any golf-specific exercise routine.

A closer look at the golf swing will show clearly that it heavily depends on and indeed leans on the back. Actually a perfect golf swing is really all about using the spine as an axis to allow the correct swing plane. The spine is at the very center and core of the golf swing.

The facts of the matter are that a golfer with a back problem will always face an uphill and maybe impossible task when it comes to improving on their game. The back will always come in the way of any efforts at improvement.

This is where 'golfer' back exercise come in. They can be extremely useful in helping solve this nagging problem amongst the many golfers who suffer from this problem which can be both very painful and frustrating.

There are cases where the back problem started even before the golfer started playing golf and there are other cases where it starts shortly after they start frequenting a golf course. There are even cases where the problem is greatly aggravated by golf. Chances of getting an improvement on your game from all three different scenarios with the help of golfer back exercises are very high.

Many 'golfer' back exercise involve stretching exercises some of which I have covered in previous articles. Interestingly enough, I have witnessed some of these stretch exercises helping some golfers with chronic back pain problems.

There are some who have been fortunate enough to have the problem completely disappear while others have gotten a great deal of relief as a result of the 'golfer' back exercise

'golfer' back exercise can also help golfers who have never experienced any back problems to avoid them altogether. As we have already seen, the golf swing involves so much use of the back that injury to it is quite easy. Especially where the golfer is not involved in any golf exercise program let alone 'golfer' back exercise.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness training</a> site - Perform Better Golf.

Golf Travel Bags ? Choose Wisely to Protect Your Investment

2008-12-22T11:10:00.001-08:00

Planning a golf vacation? Don't forget to protect your golf clubs by choosing the right golf travel bag. How do you choose the golf travel bag that is right for you? Let's take a quick look at three different styles to help you make the right choice.

Remember, choosing the right golf travel bag isn't only about the bag itself. Golfers planning a golf vacation or just looking for protection on short golf trips should ask themselves a few questions before making a purchase.

What is your budget for a golf travel bag?

Do you travel frequently with your golf clubs?

Do your golf trips mostly include air travel or auto travel?

With these questions in mind, let's take a quick look at the different styles of golf travel bags and the benefits and negatives each offers.

Hybrid Travel Bags

These types of golf travel bags are essentially a golf bag with a hard top to protect your clubs. Unlike other styles, hybrids do not protect your day-to-day golf bag.

Hybrids will help golf travelers with space restrictions. They require less space than other models and also weigh less.

However, hybrid golf travel bags are not your golf bag. Therefore you must unpack and pack all of your golf gear each time you travel. These types of bags are also not the best choice for airline travel.

For golfers who travel more often by automobile and have an extra set of golf clubs, hybrid golf travel bags are a good choice.

Golfers can pick up a hybrid golf travel bag for as little as $60 with top of the line bags going for around $230.

Soft Golf Travel Bags

Think of this style of travel bags as a soft, padded, glove that covers your day-to-day golf bag and clubs. Usually, these bags come with a rigid bottom and wheels to help golfers carry them from location to location.

If you love to carry a lot of golf gear on your travels, then soft-style cases might be the right choice for you. You can travel with your day-to-day bag and stuff it with your other gear and golf accessories. These travel bags also breaks down easily and take up less storage space than hard case bags.

Some of the negatives associated with soft-style golf travel bags are mobility and protection. Soft bags usually do not roll as easily as hard cases. Also, these bags do not offer the same protection as hard cases. Your club heads are especially vulnerable in a soft-style bag.

If you choose a soft-style golf travel bag, I highly recommend that you pick up a Stiff Arm accessory. This will protect your club heads in the event of a direct impact to the top of your bag.

The best soft-style bags can cost anywhere from $120 - $300.

Hard Case Golf Travel Bags

This style of travel bag encompasses your bag and club. They provide the highest amount of protection but do not have space for the golf "pack rat".

Hard cases are a great choice for the golfer who travels by air to most golf vacation spots. This style provides the most protection and highest security for your golf clubs. Unlike other styles of golf travel bags, airlines will often cover any damage incurred when your clubs are in a hard case travel bag.

Hard cases take up more room than other styles when it comes to storage. They also do not hold all of your golf gear. For the golfer who plans more trips by automobile, hard cases might not make as much sense as hybrids or soft-covers.

Hard case golf travel bags average $130 with top of the line cases costing around $300.

Now that you have a little more insight into golf travel bags, you will be able to choose the right bag for your golf travel and golf vacations. Remember to think about the type and frequency of your golf travel, how much protection you need for your golf clubs, and what type of budget you have for a golf travel bag.

Choose wisely. Protect your investment. And, most of all, enjoy your golf vacation!

Article courtesy of <a target="_new" href="http://www.perfectgolfvacations.com">http://www.PerfectGolfVacations.com</a> your source for the best golf destination information. We deliver "Truth in Golf Travel". PerfectGolfVacations.com delivers the best local market information and word-of-mouth recommendations from golf destinations like Myrtle Beach, Las Vegas, Ireland, Hilton Head, and more. Keep current with updates, news and specials at our blog <a target="_new" href="http://www.PerfectGolfVacations.blogspot.com">http://www.perfectgolfvacations.blogspot.com</a>.

This article may be reprinted with no changes, omissions, or additions. All links must be left live and in tact.

How To Properly Check The Club Heads Of Second Swing Used Golf Club

2008-12-21T17:00:00.001-08:00

Check the grooves of the Second Swing used golf club and makes sure the edges are still well defined.

Also avoid the Second Swing used clubs that show indentations in the clubface. This too will affect you're accuracy greatly.

Then try to get a golf club that has a bigger clubhead, especially if you're a beginner. This will give you a higher chance of hitting the sweet spot and also bigger clubheads are more forgiving.

If you're interested for more free golf articles. I encourage you to visit my site at http://golf-tips.useful-tips.com.

The Perfect Golf Swing Is Within Your Reach

2008-12-21T09:10:00.001-08:00

The perfect golf swing IS achievable for any senior golfer!

Actually we have noted in our ongoing programs, a dramatic change in the quality of the games of senior golfers many of whom are achieving the perfect golf swing at their ages and despite relative inexperience on the golf course. Not only that, they are hitting the ball as long as their PGA counterparts. And we are talking about both male and female players.

So how do they do it?

The answer is so simple that it may be a little difficult to believe at first. Actually it is the result of a simple combination of personal coaching on swing mechanics and getting stronger. They do not get stronger as a result of arduous weight training using heavy weights designed to give bulky muscles.

Rather the training ideas have even been described as "enjoyable" by some and the program even involves simple exercises that will not take you away from the office or your work and yet have the potential of helping you reach the perfect golf swing much quicker than you ever thought possible.

Very specific conditioning and training achieve the perfect golf swing and a much better game. Exercises that are not straining but are in fact targeted very specifically at improving the quality of the golf game are responsible for the 'miracles' in junior golf players.

Surely if it works so well with senior citizens, younger golfers should have no problem. Right?

Actually we are also witnessing junior golfers who are also dramatically revolutionizing their game through the same exercises and conditioning which also involves using products recommended by experts and people who earn a living improving ordinary amateur's golf games and helping them towards achieving the perfect golf swing.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Check out his new <a target="_new" href="http://www.performbettergolf.com">golf fitness products</a> site at Perform Better Golf .